Christian Musician Magazine - Mar/Apr 2013

US $5.95 Can $6.95

MAR/APR 2013Volume 18, Issue 2

Improving Musicianship | Inspiring Talent

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“5 Cool Things I Saw at NAMM” • “Celebration: 50 Years With The Guitar” by John Standefer

Selective HearingJeff Elbel + PingPlumb John SchlittCathy Heller JJ HellerSanctus Real Sandra McCracken

Product ReviewsTC Electronic Flashback X4 Pedal

BLUES COUNSEL

Roland VT-12 Vocal Trainer

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The Best Technology for WorshipWorship Sound Pro features the latest and most essential music equipment and technology for today’s houses of worship.

MultiTracks and the Modern Musical MessageFind out how you can enhance your worship performances with professional-sounding accompaniment — and learn about the tools that make it happen. Essential Guides for You and Your VolunteersIn-depth, down-to-earth articles help volunteers, pastors, and worship leaders understand the ins and outs of the latest in worship sound technology.

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MultiTracks.com gives worship teams the tools they need to bring professional-sounding accompaniment and loops to the platform.

Many worship leaders may have heard about running “clicks” or “tracks” in worship, but these names don’t always mean the same thing to everyone. Could you begin by describing the difference between an accompaniment track and a MultiTrack? Also, a click track and a loop? Absolutely. I’m just old enough to remember going to the Christian bookstore and seeing cassettes of accompaniment tracks with the lead vocal removed. MultiTracks are not that kind of “track.” That is an accompaniment track to be used without live musicians. MultiTracks are a collection of all the individual parts or “stems” from a recording. Our Original Master MultiTracks are the same thing that the original artists use on tour to add in parts from their own recordings to help them sound like their albums and to fill out their live sound.

A click track is the actual click that functions as a metronome in a musician’s in-ear mix. A click helps the musician stay in time, both with the band and any track he or she may be playing along with. You can use the built-in click from any DAW, or a standalone click track that can be sent to the front of house and then back to your monitor mix.

A loop is simply a recorded track that loops continuously. I think people sometimes generalize a loop as being any track that is played along with a band. But typically a loop should refer to a percussive or melodic phrase that you can repeat over and over as you play a section of a song.

Do you ever hear of worship team members having a challenge transitioning to using a click track in their ears? I teach about this at a worship conference, and I’ve heard this so often that now I just ask those who are currently running a click track with a worship team to speak about the differences they’ve experienced in their team after they added the click. I can always count on the same story. Usually there is some initial resistance, but pretty soon everyone loves the benefits of playing in time, and they always want to use a click after that. Using a click track makes everyone play tighter, and the consistency definitely improves. You’ll be amazed at the feedback you receive! Also, pre-recorded vocal guide cues give the team count-ins, so transitions and song entrances are smoother and easier to navigate.

Since a click is involved, I’d assume it’s important for the team to use in-ear monitors. Yes. Using floor wedges at your church would be a barrier to running a click track or MultiTracks. There are many benefits to making the transition overall, which is why more churches every day are going with an in-ear setup. If you have a live drummer who has to turn up a floor monitor up loud enough to hear it over his drums, then everyone around him has to do the same. Suddenly, you have a

bunch of monitors onstage that are louder than the sound system in the house, and the click track in those monitors would bleed into the house. Going with in-ears gives the mix control back to your sound person, and you have the added benefit of being able to mix in some individual MultiTracks with your live sound.

If I’m a worship leader and I want to make my team comfortable working with MultiTracks and click tracks, what would you recommend? Great question. Though it’s not difficult, it does take time to transition your team. The first time you learned to drive a stick shift, it was really awkward because you were used to doing it a different way — then it became familiar and you wondered how you ever did without it. We have people on our worship team who were reluctant to use a click track because they weren’t used to having it in their ears. Give it some time, and you won’t even really hear it anymore — you become used to it. Now, using MultiTracks is a different story in my opinion. It makes the mix in your in-ears and the front of house sound amazing!

MultiTracks are actual stems of audio, often from original recordings. Can you tell us how the MultiTracks are controlled by software or hardware? How much flexibility do you have with the arrangements? The MultiTracks that you download from our website can be played in any DAW or music software that can play multiple audio files at one time. We have users of just about every software — Ableton, Studio One, Pro Tools, Digital Performer… the list goes on. If you’re just triggering the tracks to start and stop, and don’t need to jump around from section to section, then most DAWs will work great. We have lots of training videos on this concept on our MultiTracks blog.

Can you trigger these files via MIDI from, say, a keyboard controller or a MIDI foot controller? Yes. Many musicians run MultiTracks from the stage this way. It helps if all your musicians are onstage so that you can cue everyone together. If a guitar player is leading worship and triggering the tracks, he or she might want to use a foot controller, which is easy to program within most any DAW. Or you could assign the pads or knobs on your MIDI keyboard to fire off the tracks from your keyboard. This way, you’re never touching the laptop.

Can you address potential copyright issues with these stems/loops? A download from MultiTracks includes a limited license for live performance at your house of worship. We cover the royalties for use of the master as well as for publishing. Though you can perform the song as many times as you like at your church, the license does not allow you to use the tracks for streaming over the Internet or for recording purposes.

There are other websites out there that offer audio files for accompaniment. How does MultiTracks.com do things differently? Beyond the sheer size of our catalog, the quality of the original master recordings is amazing. There are also demos and quite a bit of free content on our site, which can help people get started. As does Sweetwater, we place a high value on supporting our customers, and we have a knowledgeable staff of engineers and trainers who can answer your questions and get you up and running right away.

Can you walk us through the options that MultiTracks.com offers? We offer three core options: MultiTracks, LiteTracks, and Rehearsal Mixes. MultiTracks aren’t simply accompaniment tracks; they’re often the original stems from the original recordings. The cool thing about these tracks is that you can essentially have the entire recording up there — the exact same stems the artists use during performances — on the platform, ready for you to add your own parts.

You can also get LiteTracks, which are premixed stereo MP3 files from original sessions. On the left side of the stereo field is a click; on the right are synths, strings, pads, and sounds that enhance the worship band’s performance of the song. You can put LiteTracks on your iPod or other player.

Rehearsal Mixes let your team members hear the parts they’ll be playing louder in the mix, so it’ll be easier for them to learn what they should be playing. It’s an effective rehearsal tool that helps reduce practice time. Rehearsal Mixes are very affordable, and you can even buy credits in bulk to bring the price of each down even further.

Tell us about the resources and tutorials available at the MultiTracks.com website. Our blog is full of training and tutorials specifically geared toward worship leaders, and you can sign up for more in-depth training and screen-sharing assistance as well. I would encourage people to take a couple of hours and dive into learning a software program. I think they’ll be blown away by how it benefits their live sound. We’re grateful that we’ve been able to help thousands of worship leaders make the transition, and we’re constantly hearing about the difference it makes for their church.

Thank you for talking with us! Anything else you’d like to add? We have free demo content if you just register for an account with us online. Plus, there is a Free Content section with click tracks and loop tracks that you can download without an account. We’ve made it really easy to try this out with your team, and we’re always adding new songs to the catalog. We’re definitely here to help any way we can.

Modern Musical Message

Phillip EdwardsThe founder and CEO of MultiTracks.com, Phillip is a worship leader and a musician with professional touring experience. Since launching MultiTracks.com in 2006, Phillip has been

teaching and training at worship conferences around the country on the concept of running MultiTracks to achieve a professional sound in any size church.

Working with MultiTracks loops and tracks instantly gives your worship team a fuller, more professional sound. When you transition to working with clicks and loops, you need the right tools on the platform to make sure the team hears clearly and performs its best. Here are some essentials:

MultiTracks and the

Without question, more and more churches are supplementing their live sound with multiple-track accompaniment and loops for live worship performances. This concept’s growing popularity has led to a demand for great-sounding tracks and loops that are also easy to work with. We spoke with Phillip Edwards, founder of MultiTracks.com, and asked him about the transitions that churches are making to running tracks — and the gear they need to do so effectively. Sweetwater is proud to partner with MultiTracks.com to provide the potential for a fuller, more professional sound on the platform.

A360 Thanks to convenient, full-featured personal mixers such as Aviom’s A360, each performer on the platform gets his or her own custom in-ear

monitor mix. The result? More confident and consistent

performances!

Live 9 This software puts you in command of your clicks,

loops, and stems. It’s easy to use and has become very popular with worship groups.

StudioLive 32.4.2 A powerful hardware/software mixing solution, the StudioLive mixer and Studio One software work together to let you run your MultiTracks operations and get great main and personal monitor mixes. Plus, wireless integration lets you take control with your iOS device!

UM3X RC In-ear monitors are critical to working with MultiTracks. These isolating earphones allow each member of the team

to hear the click, the accompaniment, and the live instruments and vocals clearly.

Go to Sweetwater.com/worship to learn more about MultiTracks!

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Worship Sound Pro 101 Guides

Take a look at the instruments we’ve highlighted in this guide, including Yamaha’s MOTIF XF8, the affordable Korg SP280, and the piano-like Kurzweil PC3K8. You’ll also want to check out the Hammond XK-3c.

Workstations: Powerful Tools for the Worship LeaderWhile streamlined, piano-like instruments are ideal for a number of worship leaders and church pianists, many other houses of worship rely on keyboards for much more than just piano sounds. In fact, if you’re a piano-centric worship leader, you may very well be able to perform and produce your entire service with a single powerful instrument called a keyboard workstation. More than just keyboards with hundreds, sometimes thousands, of instrument sounds, these instruments often feature multitrack sequencers, so you can layer all the different instrument parts into a full orchestration. It’s very similar to working with audio editing and production software, only you’re not tethered to a computer — and you can easily play these backing tracks right from your keyboard during services. And even if you do have a complete worship band, you can use a workstation to add a few choice backing instruments to fill out your sound — perhaps a second trumpet part, a string section, or even an extra kick drum sound for more power.

A Balance of Features for Modern WorshipIf you don’t need the all-out power of a workstation, but you’d still like a handful of cutting-edge capabilities — maybe built-in drum patterns for rehearsals and a lighter sequencer for a quick songwriting sketch pad — there are a number of options that fall somewhere in between the two categories we’ve already mentioned. Instead of choosing an 88-key option, which has the same number of keys as a full piano, you can select a 76-key — or smaller — version. These instruments trade a slightly reduced range (many keyboardists never use the highest and lowest keys anyway) for lighter weight and a more portable form factor. You can still get fully weighted keys on a 76-key piano, or you can choose a semi-weighted version that works well if you perform a blend of classic and modern instrument sounds, rather than strictly piano.

Increasing in popularity are keyboards that feature a built-in microphone input. These are perfect for the performing worship leader and great for scaled-down youth services. The vocal microphone goes right through the keyboard’s output, so you’ll need to amplify only one signal. Better yet, there are professional vocal effects built in, so you can refine the vocal sound without having to purchase an extra piece of gear.

Don’t Forget About Realistic Organ SoundsThe organ is still a very popular instrument for worship services. And while most of the keyboards we carry feature a built-in organ sound, you can get that organ-playing experience — complete with drawbars — by choosing a dedicated instrument for the task.

Have more questions? Our Sales Engineers are here to help you choose the best keyboard for your church’s goals. In fact, what you see in Worship Sound Pro is just a small sampling of the many keyboards we have available. Give us a call today at (800) 222–4700.

Customer-favorite Keyboard PicksKorg Krome-61Powerful workstation with world-class sounds

Kurzweil PC3K8Amazing feel and piano sounds

Roland RD-64Portability plus great instruments and playing feel

Hammond XK-3cClassic Hammond organ sounds

Korg Kronos X 61Great workstation, loaded with free extras

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When Less Is MoreMany church pianists we work with often feel overwhelmed by the number of choices out there — and even more so by the number of knobs, buttons, and controls on keyboards. “All I need,” they tell us, “is an instrument that plays like an acoustic piano and has a fantastic natural piano sound.”

If this sounds like you, you’ll want to select what’s called a stage piano — and ideally one with a full set of 88 weighted keys (also called weighted action). These keyboards actually mimic the response of a grand piano’s keybed, where the lowest keys require more force to strike, and the upper keys feel light and airy beneath your fingertips. To nail the sound of an acoustic piano, today’s top keyboard manufacturers have gone to great lengths to record some of the finest grand pianos in the world, putting these sounds right inside the instruments. Not only can you get the sound of a classic Steinway, but on many you can also push a single button to get the sound of a Bosendorfer, a Yamaha C7, or a character-filled upright.

If you’re replacing an acoustic piano, you should consider the importance of aesthetics to your church. If you have more-traditional services or are seeking a really natural look up on the platform, then you may want to choose a more authentic-looking stage piano. We have options available with wooden cabinets, in a variety of finishes, so you can choose an instrument that matches the decor of your church.

Choosing the Right

KEYBOARDWhether you’re looking for a simple instrument that just plays and sounds like a real acoustic piano, or you’re seeking a powerful centerpiece for all your worship team’s ambitions, there’s a digital piano that’s right for your church. To help you zero in on the perfect keyboard for your needs, let’s take a look at the different kinds of keyboards available, as well as the important factors you’ll want to consider when making your decision.

As you take a look at the keyboards featured on the next few pages, these five factors will help you start narrowing down your decision:

1. Action Do you want keys that are weighted to feel and play just like an acoustic piano’s? Or do you want keys that glide beneath your fingers so that you can easily play synth and organ parts?

2. Sounds Do you primarily need an authentic acoustic piano sound, or would you like to have other sounds such as strings, synths, electric pianos, organs, and more?

3. Arranging/Recording Capabilities Will you be composing songs with your keyboard? If so, you may want to have a built-in sequencer, onboard drum sounds, and a direct-to-computer connection.

4. Size and Portability Choosing a 76-key keyboard instead of a full-size 88-key instrument can be a great way to cut down on weight while maintaining a first-class playing experience.

5. Appearance How important is it that your church’s keyboard resemble an acoustic piano? Do you want an integrated stand, or would you prefer to use a more portable stage-style keyboard stand?

FIVE Main Features to Consider

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The Path to GreatGuitar Sound

get from modeling effects (Line 6’s POD standalone units, for example) is the ability to get the sound of your favorite guitar amp while plugging straight into your church’s sound system. This means you get total control over your stage volume and tone — and you don’t have to lug that hefty amplifier on and off of the platform.

Big Tone from a Small PackageSometimes, however, there’s no substitute for the sound and response of an honest-to-goodness guitar amplifier. The trick is being able to coax peak performance out of your amp without shaking the walls of your church and drowning out your message. As recording guitarists and studio engineers can tell you, the secret to big tone, oddly enough, lies in using a small amp — especially if you rely on classic tube-powered units for that rich, sustaining tone. A small single-speaker combo amp is relatively easy to transport and move, and its controls give you immediate access to volume and tone adjustments. Using lower power levels, or wattage means you can “drive” the amplifier’s power section and speaker, getting the benefits of the amp’s dynamic response and full-sounding tone without blasting the congregation and overpowering the rest of your worship team. If you need more than just one great sound from your amp, consider a multichannel amplifier (usually equipped with separate controls for clean and distorted sounds, as well as tone controls and reverb adjustments) or even that most recent of amplification developments, the modeling amp.

How Many Amps Do You Need?Small modeling combo amps provide a two-fold solution for worship guitarists. The first is versatility. Packed with multiple amp sounds and effects, a modeling amp can literally take you from shimmering clean sounds to uplifting, sustaining lead tones in seconds (and a footswitch is often included, so you can make changes on the fly). Secondly, you don’t have to give up portability and low stage volume to get the most out of these amps; in fact, modeling amps are voiced to provide very consistent-sounding versions of the amplifiers they emulate, even at low volumes — try coaxing the same sustaining lead tones from a real 100-watt amp stack that you can get from a preset on your modeling combo! Plugging into a small modeling combo lets you call up pretty much any tone you need for a worship performance. And the very compact size and light weight of such a combo makes it a snap to get on and off of the platform quickly. And let’s not forget the bass player, as there are plenty of great-sounding, highly portable modeling combo bass amps available that can hold their own on any stage.

Amp or PA?Since the primary goal of amplifying an acoustic guitar is to retain as much of the guitar’s natural character as possible, it’s important that your acoustic amplifier provide a very clean, transparent sound. So why not simply run your instrument directly into the sound system? While that’s a perfectly fine solution for many worship leaders (especially solo performers or small acoustic ensembles), those playing acoustic guitar in full-band setups or on larger stages benefit from the control and focused sound they get from a dedicated acoustic combo amp. Many of these amps include extensive EQ controls for fine-tuning your tone, as well as onboard filters that hold feedback at bay. Amps with built-in effects let you add even more body and depth to your sound. Plus, they eliminate the need for a complicated signal chain running through outboard effects pedals. Though acoustic combo amps pack plenty of sonic punch from a small enclosure, larger rooms still require sound reinforcement from a PA system. That’s where your amp’s built-in direct output comes in.

Using Your Amp’s Direct OutputMost dedicated acoustic guitar and bass amplifiers include balanced direct outputs, giving you the option of running your rig through your church’s PA system without sacrificing the control and sound you get onstage. Several electric guitar combos (especially modeling amps) with direct-out capability are also available — some even include speaker emulation, sending very realistic amp tones straight to the PA. Using your amp’s direct output doesn’t just let you “have your amp and play it too”; it also allows you to handle the sound level that reaches your gathering. You can enjoy getting the sound you want on the platform, while your church’s sound engineer can make a mix that’s ideal for the room. All these great sound tools help to make playing guitar or bass in the worship environment a more inspiring experience for you — and your listeners.


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One very attractive element of modern worship music performance is the guitar — a very portable, versatile instrument that also happens to be relatively affordable (compared to that hulking pipe organ). Though worship performers have been using guitars as accompaniment for decades, the last few years have seen a boom in guitars as standout instruments. But how do you effectively integrate the guitar into your gathering without turning the proceedings into a loud rock show? Read on.

Going DirectThe dynamic, natural sound of an acoustic guitar is right up there with the piano when it comes to accompanying solo artists or ensembles with one instrument. Until relatively recently, though, playing your acoustic live meant remaining stationary in front of a microphone and fighting feedback from the sound system. The advent of onboard pickups freed acoustic players from this fate, allowing them to plug right into an amp or PA system and, in many cases, control the guitar’s volume and tone. One mostly unsung but very useful tool for amplifying an acoustic guitar is

the DI, or direct box. In general terms, the purpose of a DI box is to convert the signal coming from your instrument into a “balanced” signal that’s compatible with the church’s sound system. Though many mixing boards allow you to plug straight in, using a DI on the platform means the signals coming from instruments and microphones are all consistent when they connect to the PA. Even if you’re an electric guitar or bass player, you

can benefit from using a DI box — especially if your setup involves outboard effects and other gear (with balanced inputs) in addition to your amplifier, or requires extremely long cable runs. Balancing the signal with a direct box helps to keep the signal strong and helps to remove pesky electronic interference. There are DI boxes available to suit every budget.

Natural Sound, Even Plugged InTaking “direct” to an entirely new level, some acoustic guitar-centric pedals and even onboard preamps include very specialized EQ curves and effects that give your

plugged-in guitar a more natural sound. Fishman’s Aura line actually includes stompboxes matched to specific body styles. Simply plug your favorite dreadnought or jumbo or classical into its corresponding pedal, and you get a very good approximation of your guitar’s unplugged sound. Best of all, this “microphone-like” tone doesn’t come with the baggage of feedback!

Though EQ curves and pre-programmed algorithms can make a guitar sound great, today’s standalone modeling and effects units allow you to coax an incredible array of sounds out of your acoustic or electric instrument. The number of effects that can be applied is simply staggering, and, believe it or not, as modeling technology has gotten more advanced, it’s now easier to pack those effects into smaller and smaller effects units. One big advantage you

As worship services and events become more diverse and tied into today’s culture, it’s inevitable that the music performances involved become increasingly contemporary. It’s just as common to see full-band setups on the platform as it is to see pianos, organs, and choir ensembles.

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7. Have the worship team begin to play a song.Watch for red overload or “clip” lights on the mixer. If you see these, turn down the gain controls at the top of that source’s channel.

8. Build the mix by bringing up the volume faders for the basics first.

Start with the bass drum and the bass guitar, turning them up to a comfortable level and balancing them against one another. You may need to adjust the level of the master volume fader to get the overall level to the right point.

9. Turn up the volume faders for the vocals.Now focus on the vocals. Set them to a comfortable level, balanced against the bass guitar and the bass drum. The lead vocalist needs to be the loudest, with the background or harmony vocals filling in behind.

10. Turn up the volume faders on the other instruments.

One at a time, begin turning up the other instruments. Start with the rest of the drums, then the guitars, the pianos, the keyboards, and any other instruments. Adjust the volume as needed. Balance each one against the vocals, the bass drum, and the bass guitar. This is a place where you can err on the side of being conservative. The vocals are the main focus, and you want to ensure that they are clearly audible. Use the other instruments to fill around the vocals, without obscuring them. As you go, adjust the master volume fader to control the overall level.

11. It’s time for the equalizers.Up to this point, we haven’t touched the equalizers (tone controls) on the mixer. If you find that the sound is getting too bassy or boomy, use the “low” or bass tone control to reduce the bass frequencies a small amount on instruments such as bass guitar, keyboards, and piano. Vocalists, especially male vocalists, may also need their bass reduced a small amount. To increase the clarity of a vocal or an instrument, add a small amount of treble or high frequencies by using the tone controls on that mixer channel. Be careful with the tone controls, as overuse can lead to feedback!

12. Fine-tune the mix and the monitors. Adjust volume levels so that instruments and vocals are balanced, and adjust the bass and the treble controls on channels as necessary to prevent boominess, harshness, or

spikes in sound. Ask each worship team member what he or she needs to hear from the monitors — one at a time so that everyone doesn’t speak at once — and adjust the auxiliary sends accordingly.

13. Don’t try to overtune the mix, and don’t make it too loud.

Set things up so that they are clean and clear, and at a comfortable, conservative volume level. Then stop! Once you get to the point where it sounds okay — this should happen fairly quickly — stop tweaking the knobs. It’s easy to lose perspective and get lost in knob turning, even though the goal has already been achieved.

14. Here’s a final tip.When in doubt, focus on making the vocals, whether spoken or sung, clearly audible. The congregation is there to hear the message, which is contained in the words and lyrics. The music is inspiring and essential to a great service, but it plays just a supporting role in the grand scheme of things. Ensure that the vocals are heard, and the service will be a success!

The Basics of Building a Mix


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Though creating the perfect sound mix for a service is a true art, a sound person with little or no mixing experience can still achieve good sonic clarity and deliver the message with pleasant and effective audio. Here are some tips for saving the day with a quick, last-minute mix — whether you are working the sound booth yourself or have the help of a volunteer.

1. Keep it simple.Unfortunately, mix emergencies rarely occur when you have loads of spare time to work on a solution — it almost always happens minutes before the service is supposed to start. While your sound booth may have racks of processors and sophisticated audio equipment, now is not the time to experiment with effects or to randomly start turning knobs. Focus on the bare minimum you need to get the job done. Leave the special effects for another time.

2. Use what’s already there.Hopefully, your sound system is already set up, the cables and the snake are run to the mixer, and the monitors are tuned in to prevent feedback. Plug the mics into the mixer or snake in their usual positions. Try to use the same “old standby” microphones and other gear you usually use — again, now is not the time to experiment with new gear!

3. Have a conversation with the worship team.Explain to everyone that the regular sound person is not available and that help is required to have the service go well. This means guitarists need to turn down, drummers need to control volume, and so on. Explain that the monitor

system may not be perfect — forewarning the team that everything may not be ideal will go a long way toward easing the process for everyone. At least they will know what to expect!

4. Turn it on.Turn on the speakers or the amplifiers last; this prevents loud thumps and pops from coming through the system.

5. Reset the mixing board.Begin by pulling all the volume sliders (faders) down to zero. (Usually these are found at the bottom of each channel on the mixer.) Set the channel gain to a mid position (Usually this knob is found at the top of each channel on the mixer.) Next, reset all the equalization (tone) controls on the mixer to their center position, which is essentially off. Turn the auxiliary or monitor sends off. Make sure that mute or solo buttons are disengaged. (Usually these buttons are off in the up position.) Set the master volume fader to about 50%.

6. Begin testing each sound source through the mains.

Have the main vocalist speak or sing into his or her mic. Bring up the volume slider until you can hear the vocals in the main speakers. Turn up the auxiliary or monitor sends until the vocalist can hear himself or herself in the monitors. As you verify that each mic or source works, pull its volume fader back down to zero. You can leave the aux (monitor) sends turned up so that the singers can hear themselves. To prevent feedback, don’t run the stage monitors too loud.

It’s bound to happen at some point: the mix disaster. Maybe your church’s regular sound person calls in sick at the last minute. Maybe the new volunteer sound person doesn’t know a volume slider from a sliding door, or a mixing board from a mixing bowl. Whatever the circumstance, something has to be done to save the service. Without decent sound, the congregation won’t be engaged or inspired by the music, and the message may be completely lost.

Finding the Right Music Gear for Your Church Just Got Easier!

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PreSonus • StudioLive “Only with StudioLive” • Worship Musician • Prepared 12-13-12

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* Merchandise sales available with upgrade to Nimbi Plus account. ©2013 PreSonus Audio Electronics, Inc., all rights reserved. StudioLive, Capture and Nimbit are trademarks or registered trademarks of PreSonus Audio Electronics, Inc. Studio One is a registered trademark of PreSonus Software Ltd. Mac, iPad and iPhone are registered trademarks of Apple, Inc. If you’re reading this footnote, the Mayans were sorely misinterpreted.

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wshp_fp_inspired.pdf 1 1/24/12 11:56 AM

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36 The Indie Mechanics by Keith Mohr & Sue Ross-Mohr

WHY ask Why?

38 Ask Joe by Joe Riggio

41 Guitar From A 2 Z by Roger Zimish

Dominant 7th Chords & the Mixolydian Mode

42 Reaching Your “Applicable Users”

by Bryan Duncan

44 Coda by Bob Bennett

Some Assumptions About Music, Creativity, and Faith

Features 8 Product Review by Bruce Adolph

TC Electronic Flashback X4 Pedal

10 Bassic Communication by Norm Stockton

Developing Your Inner Clock (Part 7)

12 Guitar Workshop by John Standefer

Celebration: 50 Years With The Guitar

14 Drumming Dynamics by David Owens

Metric Modulation

16 Vocal Coach’s Corner by Roger Beale

Product Review: Roland VT-12 Vocal Trainer

18 Show Us Your Groove by Rick Cua

What Are You Known For?

26 Selective Hearing by Shawn McLaughlin

Jeff Elbel + Ping Plumb John Schlitt Cathy Heller JJ Heller Sanctus Real Sandra McCracken

30 CM Report: 5 Cool Things I Saw at NAMM

CONTENTS

4227 S. Meridian, Suite C PMB #275, Puyallup Washington 98373Phone: 253.445.1973 Fax: 253.655.5001

Email: [email protected]: www.christianmusician.com

Editor & President: Bruce AdolphVP/Office Manager: Judy Adolph, [email protected]

Customer Service: Brian Felix, [email protected] Team: Mike Adolph, Jesse Hill & Winston

Design & Layout: Matt Kees Copyediting: Kevin WilberAdvertising Sales: [email protected]

Published by the Adolph Agency Inc.Continued on page 40.

Interview 20 Blues Counsel

by Bruce Adolph & Kevin Wilber

Blues Counsel photos: Ben Pearson

live photo of Blues Counsel from CMS@theChapel: Matthew Brown

CHRISTIANMUSICIAN.COM MAR/APR 2013 7

Sound Check: The Tale of Three InterviewsUsually I am the one giving interviews, but recently at the NAMM

convention I walked into not one, not two, but three interview opportunities! None of them were planned, in the normal sense of the word, but I believe all three were meant to happen.

One on the first day of the convention I had been busy with meetings and passing out the free tickets for our evening Night of Worship Concert that would happen that night. I had worked right through lunch and now it was 3:30pm and I had to get something to eat before my 4:00pm meeting with Roland. As I was walking up to get in line for an authentic Taco vendor just outside of the convention center a man walked up at the same time as I did. I was really in a hurry because the line itself would take 15 minutes to get my food and that would leave me with about 8 minutes to wolf down my food and 7 minutes to walk and take the escalators up to the 3rd floor where Roland’s huge exhibit booth was. I gestured to the gentleman to go in front of me knowing that I would now have to eat even faster. He slipped ahead of me in line and I noticed after a few minutes that his NAMM badge had Hal Leonard Publishing on it as the company he was with. I told him that I had a series of books with Hal Leonard called “Worship Musician! presents…”. He told me that his book with HLP had just come out that day and showed it to me. It was a book about how to make a career in the music business. Cool stuff. His next question caught me off guard. He said, “Can I interview you?” I said. “What?” He said, “We can do the interview right here in line while we are waiting for our food”. I said, “Are you already working on your next book?” And smiling, he nodded his head and pulled out a large microphone for me to speak into. Then with the other hand he whips out a video camera and starts asking me questions about how I got started publishing the magazines. For being totally unprepared, hungry, and a bit scattered I think the interview went well. I guess we’ll see when his next book comes out.

The second interview is more of a cool testimony type story. It was Saturday afternoon, and even though Thursday night’s worship concert was a success and all these great things were happening for me I was starting to feel a bit fatigued after three days of non-stop activity. I caught myself losing focus and I took a moment to ask the Lord for help. I asked that I might be led by Him, even when it came to which aisles I should walk down… it felt good to reach out to the Lord. About 10 minutes later I was walking down a main thoroughfare and I saw a lady reporter type with a cameraman interviewing a man and woman right there in the path in front of me. As I went to walk on by I noticed that I knew the couple being interviewed. They are worship leaders from Las Vegas and they even have a school of worship that they run. I stopped to wait until they were done to say a quick hello and the guy looks to his right and spotting me says loudly, “Bruce, I can’t believe it’s you”. He turned to the reporter lady and said, “You need to meet our friend – you should interview him!” It turns out the reporter had just asked the question, “Have

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PRODUCT REVIEW

TC Electronic Flashback X4 PedalBy Bruce AdolphWhen we reviewed the original Flashback

pedal we liked it for its delay sound quality and looping capability. For setting your tap tempo you used your strumming hand. Now TC Electronic has taken that favorite pedal and seemingly put it on steroids. Introducing the Flashback X4… a four button floor pedal giving you the sonic goodness of the original but with 12 delay types, three presets, a 40-second looper (you can do an awful lot with that much time), tap tempo input from your foot - and four TonePrint slots that let you load in presets from your favorite artists via your smartphone or computer. So now you can pile on enough analog tape echos and reverse delays to make the Edge from U2 happy.

We all know that for playing most modern worship music your delay is an important building block to that signature sound. The Flashback X4 delivers this hands down… literally – keep your hands down and let your feet do the tapping, changing and layering of TC Electronic’s quality delays.

Here are some features we haven’t mentioned yet… the 40 second looper has an undo (that is nice), True Bypass (optional buffered), Analog-Dry-Through, Stereo in and output, MIDI (so you can sync delay tempos

Looper side of things I laid down a basic blues rhythm and then added a solo over those

chords. Once those two layers were up and running I added a counter

point solo and still didn’t run out of time. This

unit is way fun! I toggled

back o v e r

to the Delay side

and found that the Tap was

simple to use. I layered two delays on

top of each other with my tap tempo bouncing along and found the land of U2 quite easily. It was easy and sounded wonderful… rich and warm all over the place with a lot of head room. At this point I said to myself, “OK, I am a fan of this pedal”.

The blue metal box is both good looking and sturdy feeling with a low profile of height. It does have five control knobs on the top and two mini switches (for the looper or delay setting and for delay repeat time fractions). Being some 9 inches wide you do give up some territory on your pedal board using the Flashback X4 but for all that you get in return it is well worth it. For me, I would just need to throw in my vintage Tube Screamer, an old MXR Dyna Comp and my 70’s Vox Wah Wha and my set-up would be complete!

TC Electonic also gets my vote for musician humor… on the packaging is a printed comment, “So simple even a drummer could (probably) use it.” I love it!

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and change p r e s e t s externally) and an Expression pedal input (the guys with large pedal board set-ups will appreciate that).

Now that we are familiar with the features it is time to play! I really liked the transparency of all the settings but the Tape, Space and Reverse settings kept calling out to me to explore them. Wow! Beautiful. With the large knobs I could even turn them up or down just with my bare feet and socks. You have all the controls you need at hand (and foot) to dial in the sound you are after. With the

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Developing Your Inner Clock (Part 7)

Norm Stockton is a bassist/clinician/solo artist based in Orange County, CA. Following his long tenure as bassist with Lincoln Brewster, Norm has been focused on equipping bassists around the world through his new instructional site (www.ArtOfGroove.com), as well as freelancing (including tour dates with Bobby Kimball, former lead singer of TOTO). Also visit Norm at www.normstockton.com, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

with a bit of overdrive in the tone. Some of the note choices are idiomatic of modern rock bass playing as they alternate between harmonic tension and resolution.

By the way, I didn’t specify phrasing because context would have so much to do with it. In the scenario I described above, I would definitely be inclined to incorporate a few slides and slurs to help emote the part (particularly when sliding up from C to E at beat three of the second ending). On the other hand, this line could work on a P-bass in a vibey, slow shuffle groove with a singer-songwriter and acoustic guitar—in which case it might be cool and a little funkier to replace the tied note on the downbeat of beat two with a quick rest. What do you think? Let your musical taste and discernment lead the way! :^)

As before, play through these exercises with the click playing on the quarter notes at 100 bpm (slow down a bit if needed), then work through them again while the click is playing just those backbeats from the second staff. Remember to not take the repeats literally—that is, playing each figure only twice—but play each figure as many times as it takes to really internalize it before moving on.

Here’s that list of other things to keep in mind:

•Listen intently for flams (two distinct,

Let’s finish this series with another example that brings together our practice time rudiments with real-world application!

Exercise 1 contains rhythmic groupings with which we should be familiar from earlier installments in the series. Hum and/or play through this measure a few times to assimilate it.

Exercise 2 establishes the rhythm for our bass line. A quick comparison between Exercises 1 and 2 reflects that the underlying rhythmic groupings are identical—some of the notes are just tied together—excepting a minor variation in the first part of the second ending (bar four when the exercise is played as written).

Exercise 3 gives pitch to the rhythms of Exercise 2. In my mind, I was hearing this bass line in a medium-tempo rock setting—a bit more of a riff-conducive context—possibly

© 2013 Stocktones Music

Bassic CommunicationDeveloping Your Inner Clock (Part 7)

Norm Stockton

Metronome Clicks on quarter notes(Tap foot on each quarter note)

Metronome Clicks on beats 2 & 4(Keep tapping foot on each quarter note)

Exercise 1

1.

2. Exercise 2

1.

2.

Exercise 3G2

G2/C

A-9

3

55 5 7 7 7 7

73

53 3 7 7 7 7

5 5 5 52 3 3 7 7 7

nearly-simultaneous hits) resulting from your note not occurring precisely with the click. Keep repeating the exercise and see if you can execute it “flam-free.” Record yourself and listen back critically.

• Make sure to tap your foot on the quarter notes and assimilate both the tempo and how the various subdivisions feel over those quarter notes. Ensure your foot doesn’t depart from those downbeats, regardless of the rhythmic figure being played or metronome figure used.

• When working with ghost notes as in Exercises 1 and 2, just mute the strings with your fretting hand and pluck as normal.

• Once these exercises are coming together, practice them at a variety of tempos—the slower tempos can be surprising challenging to play accurately.

• Play them while dynamically alternating between loud and quiet (gradually getting louder or quieter over the course of several repeats), striving to keep the rhythmic accuracy regardless of dynamic level.

After you get comfortable playing with the click, set up a basic eighth-note drum groove at 100 bpm and play these exercises to it. The drum pattern will probably be easier to lock with, as it provides more subdivision than the click.

God bless you & your Groove Ministry! :^)

(Adapted from curriculum in the Grooving for Heaven instructional DVDs)


® Job name: VT12 Ad Job #: 3532 Date: 03.07.13 Magazine: Christian Musician Description: VT-12 Ad May-June Prep: Faye

The revolutionary VT-12 Vocal Trainer from Roland is your personal portable voice coach and accompanist. With built-in exercises and warm-ups, a two-voice tuner with hi-res pitch display, quick recording for self-evaluation, a metronome, and much more, the pocket-sized VT-12 is an essential companion for building your vocal skills everywhere you go!

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Celebration: 50 Years With The Guitar

Check out John’s 5-DVD set ‘Praise Guitar Lessons’ at the ‘store’ page at www.johnstandefer.com. You get 52 video lessons similar to these CM articles, but you can see and hear the lessons! Includes charts. Also consider private lessons with John via Skype!

2013 marks the 50th anniversary of when John Standefer first picked up a guitar! By 1966 he was teaching and performing regularly. His early musical influences came from the legendary guitarists of the day such as Chet Atkins, and from the wide range of music that was prevalent on the radio in the ‘60s (folk, rock, pop, country, the bossa nova, etc.). John has taught thousands of private students over the decades, as well as thousands more in classes and seminars such as his Praise Guitar Workshop or the Chet Atkins Convention. Over the years he has arranged and written music and TAB for several hundred guitar

solos as well as scores of accompaniment arrangements. It would take an hour to just look through his files to see all the wonderful guitar music he has saved on paper for serious students of the guitar. Besides John’s contributions to CM magazine, he now offers readers his TABs online and through one-on-one Skype lessons via the internet.

“I now have around 60 arrangements that are entered into the computer such as what you see below”, says John. “Then there are hundreds of hand written pieces too. The computerized ones that are legal to sell

can be found on the TAB page at www.johnstandefer.com. Ordering a TAB includes 3 downloads; the TAB, the performance notes, and an audio file of me playing the piece. The songs that are under copyright restrictions or the handwritten ones can only be accessed through taking lessons with me. But now that Skype exists, I can work with anybody, anywhere. I have students from all over the US and Europe. You can check that out at my website also under ‘Online Lessons’.

Here is an excerpt of a piece like what you would find in John’s TAB collection. Have fun learning this section of ‘Save Me At The

Cross’ and stop by John’s site and look over all the great resources amassed there...


http://www.johnstandefer.com/

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I have recently been teaching a percussion ensemble class and one of the first things I am trying to do is get the class comfortable with a very typical metric modulation used in Latin and Afro-Cuban music. The concept is to go from a 6/8 rhythm to a 4/4 rhythm. I think the best way to learn this is to work with a drum machine and to get comfortable playing a straight 4/4 groove over a percussive 6/8 feel.

The first bar you see here is in six with the tempo at 180 per eighth note. The second pattern is in 4 with a quarter note at 120 bpm. Make sure to work with a metronome if you can’t program this stuff into a drum machine. You need to think quarter note triplets over 4 or a dotted eight over the 6 so you can feel the two grooves properly.

David currently tours with Fernando Ortega and has worked with Sara Groves, Bebo Norman, Crystal Lewis, Cheri Keaggy, Tommy Walker, Paul Baloche among others. He has played for Billy and Franklin Graham Crusades, Harvest Crusades, Maranatha Worship Leader Workshops and for over 2 years he was the house drummer for the Los Angeles production of The Lion King. His home church is Plymouth Church in Whittier, California. www. DaveOwensDrums.com

I wrote at the bottom what a click would be playing. This looks much harder than it is and with a little bit of practice it should come to you quickly. There is a song you can pull up on iTunes by a band called Barxeta. The tune is called “Indochina”, and the short version you can hear at the iTunes store is a perfect example of this metric modulation with drumming by Alex Acuna.

After two classes the guys seemed to get comfortable with it and could hold their own when the drumset player was playing in four while the rest of the guys are playing in six. I hope by the end of the semester they can navigate back and forth from six to four effortlessly and play some cool figures leading into each metric modulation.

This is a groove and feel that any good drummer should understand and be comfortable playing. I hope what I have given you is something that will help you master it. Enjoy your practice time!

David

Metric Modulation

= 180

= 120

RimTimbale

Agogo Bells

Drum Kit

Congas

Click 1

Click 2

3 3


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Roger Beale is one of the nation’s foremost vocal coaches. He presently works with professional singers in all areas of musical performance. His teaching and coaching facility, The Voice House, is involved in the management and care of the professional voice. Roger can be contacted at: The

Voice House, 1029 Peachtree Parkway, Suite 276, Peachtree City, GA 30269, (404) 822-5097, e-mail: [email protected].

I recently discovered a new product: The Roland VT-12. This new product was a real surprise; it is actually useful to vocal students and vocal professionals. What is most refreshing is the fact that it addresses the needs of the Contemporary Commercial Singer. Thank you Roland!! Some have described this product as a tuner made especially for vocalists; I would describe it as a practice and warm-up tool for singers. The VT-12 includes a tuner, a recorder, metronome, as well as one complete vocal method book.

When I opened the package I was surprised to find a copy of the book, Vocal Workouts for the Contemporary Singer, which I have used for several years in my collegiate contemporary singing course. Once I started looking at the instructions I discovered that Roland had also included inside the VT-12 itself a well-known Classical vocal training book, Concone 50 Lessons, Opus 9, as well as thirteen selections from the old standard, 24 Songs and Arias. They had addressed the needs of the contemporary singer as well as the traditional vocal student.

The Classical vocal exercises have both accompaniment and a guide vocal on the melody. It also simultaneously displays your pitch on the front of the unit. This allows you to compare your sung pitch with the correct pitch of the guide vocal.

One of the first things that draws your attention, after you put the batteries in, is a large meter that lights up as you sing a pitch. If you are out of tune this color will change. If you have an excessively wide vibrato it will show you how many different pitches you are singing. It covers twenty-four semi-tones. The Roland VT-12 that is, not the person with excessive vibrato.

One of the coolest features of the VT-12 is the “user tracks” feature. This handheld unit has ten tracks available to record the practice of your songs. Each track has ten minutes of recording time to work with. That is one hundred minutes of recording time which is considerable, especially for such a small practice tool. With this feature, you can record songs from an MP3 player and store them for another practice session. The recording of song accompaniments was a

pitch. He was able to come back after the students started trying out the “warm-up” and “exercise” features.

The very convenient and built-in stand was discovered in about thirty seconds by one very enterprising student. For finding it quickly he asked to be exempted from the final. While informing him that he will definitely be taking the final, another student blurted out loud, “It’s like an electronic Mr. Beale.” I still haven’t heard the end of that. Many of the students are planning to use the VT-12 in their practice teaching experience, which is a requirement for the class.

I have also used this unit in my private vocal teaching sessions. The students have been very impressed with the VT-12. Some have even asked me how to purchase it. This happened several times shortly after starting to use the unit. Roland, you may have a hit of a product here.

What can I say as I finish this article? Maybe that it comes in three colors – black, blue, and orange. Or that it is a compact practice aid and a great warm-up tool. How about that it is a wonderful aide to get you singing better. By the way, that is why we take voice lessons, to get better.

Now go sing well!

feature that saved me time during lessons and I didn’t have to be Mr. Accompanist. I could give one hundred percent of my attention to the student’s voice and performance. Thank you Roland!!

During the lessons we also used the “review” feature to record the students singing with the recording track. The students receive immediate objective feedback. A singer cannot improve without feedback from a trusted friend, vocal coach, audience, or these user tracks.

The VT-12 also has a built in metronome. I appreciate this personally because I rarely see a vocalist use one. Maybe by using the unit a singer may get the hint: practice with a metronome!

With the “warm-up” feature you can exercise with a guide singer or with accompaniment only. There is a prominent button on the front of the unit that starts this feature. You can even use these warm-ups while holding the VT-12 in your hand. By the way, all of these exercises are recorded with piano, percussion, guitar, and bass. They set up a really nice forward moving rhythmic groove. Spend a few minutes warming-up then toss it in your gig bag. You don’t have to bring a keyboard, warm-up unaccompanied, find a piano, or bring an accompanist. You brought the VT-12. Done.

The “exercise” mode has twenty exercises included. These exercises are for both high and low voice in various styles. These styles include rock, latin, gospel, and jazz. My personal favorite was the R&B pop pentatonic (“Wait for Me”). These exercises will challenge your chops!

The VT-12 also includes a section for two and three part singing. These are also in Contemporary style. How cool is that? Just using the “warm-up” and “exercise” section will keep you busy for a good long while.

When the new semester started at Point University I passed the VT-12 around in my Vocal Pedagogy Class. The students immediately found the illuminated pitch meter and had a great time seeing how out of tune they could sing. One poor guy had to leave the room because he has perfect

Roland VT-12 Vocal Trainer


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I was recalling a story not long ago that got me thinking a bit about what we will be known for through and beyond our lives. Will it be how we played our instruments, how well we communicated with people, the way we loved our families and others, what special dish we cooked, or something totally bizarre?

Somewhere in the early-seventies our band found ourselves regularly playing at a club in Utica, New York called The Little Big Man. Probably named after the 1970 Dustin Hoffman film of the same name. It was a very cool room…long and narrow with a big high stage at one end. Everything was painted flat black which was good for the black lights that were very popular back then. The club was always filled with colorful characters and strong smells of patchouli, which I still enjoy to this day.

I remember the first time I saw him…a tall, thin willowy guy that would dance by himself in the middle of the dance floor while sipping his drink as we were playing something from Cream, Mott The Hoople, or David Bowie. He would just move to the music in a very slow and overly dramatic way. That was odd enough in and of itself, but the real showstopper was this; after he finished his drink, he ate the glass! Bite by bite he chewed, crunched and swallowed the glass that minutes before held his favorite libation. Boy that was weird, and we were all mesmerized.

Then there was Freddy Crittela. Freddy was a childhood friend that loved music and loved food, by which he made his living. We would go to Crittela’s Italian Restaurant and Freddy would always come out from the kitchen in his white t-shirt covered with sauce stains…his medals we called them. He would pull up

a chair and sit at our table telling us stories. He made us laugh, feel loved and important, and filled our bellies with some of the best Italian food, short of our own families, we would ever eat. Freddy’s in heaven now, maybe the glass eater too, but I think of Freddy way more.

Then there was my Father, Buzzy. Ninety years old when he went to be with Jesus. Remembered by all as a man who devoted his life to his family and loved everyone he met. It didn’t matter if he only had 2 minutes with you, after those 2 minutes you walked away feeling better about yourself.

Dad had a small spiral notebook he kept in his breast pocket and always had his camera with him. He would take pictures of strangers all the time and then get their name and address so he could send them a print. I can’t tell you how often people would tell us about Dad’s kindness and the photo they unexpectedly received from him. He was a great guitar player too, and the reason I play.

I could go on and on about so many. My wonderful wife, my kids, my siblings, and some of you who are reading this I’m sure. But the point of all this isn’t to keep going on about someone else, it’s to point us in a direction that will make us remarkable for years to come.

The word tells us in Matthew 7:20 “You will know them by their fruits”. So what are those fruits? Galatians 5:22 says “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” I look at this as a kind of personal mission statement, one we can continually look back at to see if our lives and actions line up.

Also in John 13:35 we are told that men will know you are disciples of Jesus by your love for one another. Loving God and loving others can only lead to a legacy that will be something for others to celebrate.

If a life started and stopped with “He can really play that bass’ or “What a great cook” or She has so many degrees”, you might ask yourself…what else? Those things are all good but what is it that makes this or that person remarkable in a way that exemplifies God not just in a single action of accomplishment but for a lifetime.

What is it about someone that most makes you want to imitate them? Hopefully more than one thing. For all I know the glass eater might have been the kindest man in his neighborhood or a missionary for Christ, but all I saw was the circus act. Very entertaining for sure, but not something you would want to imitate.

Charles Caleb Colton coined the phrase “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” When you admire someone, you imitate them. Let’s live our lives for Christ working always to be more like Him. Let His virtues shine through our lives like lifesaving beacons to a world looking for leaders to emulate.

This article started with a question and it will end with one too. One that can be answered only by your actions and the witness of others…What Are YOU Known For?

What Are You Known For? by Rick Cua

Not just a musical artist, Rick knows the business of music as well. Besides being a music publisher, artist manager and booking agent, he founded and ran his own record label, UCA Records, in the 1990s which led to a position for five and 1⁄2 years as Vice President, Creative/Copyright

Development at EMI CMG in Nashville. There he managed a large songwriter roster and exponentially grew revenue through film and TV licensing, song promotion and print music development. He is currently on staff as the minister of Pastoral Care and Visitation at Grace Chapel in Franklin, TN.


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BLUES COUNSELAs the _______ (drummer, bassist, etc) I see

my role as?

Rick Cua – Bass - As the bassist in Blues Counsel my role is to offer an always solid and sometimes colorful foundation to support the solos of the Guitar Army; Will, Tom, and Tony. Equally important is to play bass parts that work well with the vocal melody of each song. There is a lot going on in this band…a lot of horsepower on stage. With that, I am always listening to the other guys. The more activity from them the simpler I play, unless of course it all goes haywire which it wonderfully does on occasion!

When there is a lot of space I am free to fill some of it and I happily do.

Tony Morra – Drums - My first role is to listen! I’m one of the only guys in the band not holding a guitar! Blues Counsel has 3 guitar players, a bass player, and a percussionist! There’s a lot of information going on at one time in our band. My role is to be a foundation for the melodic instruments and the vocalists. However, the experience in this band is through the roof. Everybody knows when to step in and out making it all gel into sound that’s not just a bunch of jamming. The personalities of each guy are reflected in their

playing. Each has their very own style. That will dictate how I may play beneath a solo or through a song where one of the guys might be dictating the rhythmic feel to the song. I feel that once the groove is established for the personality of

the song, there is room to take it to another level, but always having the groove established. There really isn’t anything generic about our music. Each song has a thread that connects one to the other, but the personalities (like each guy) are very strong. Rick’s songs are more rock influenced, Hooper’s songs are almost like jazz,

Starting out as an All Star team house band put together by the Kingdom Bound Festival in up state New York, the Blues Counsel emerged as a six piece band of brothers (in the Lord), friends and accomplished musicians who enjoy making music together. We have had them at several of our Christian Musician Summit conferences not only backing up differing artists but also taking center stage with their own self penned tunes. On the eve of their latest album release we wanted to see what makes this unique working band work...

by Bruce Adolph & Kevin Wilber


county, and pop mixed in. Tom Lane’s approach is country and old school R&B, and Will’s is absolutely that “Muscle Shoals Thing” all about the feel and the “less is more” approach. Emedin brings in that Latin vibe which also gives us a different dimension and with that I get to infuse rhythms that I normally wouldn’t in most genres that I work in. So for me it’s a dream to play drums in this band.

Will McFarlane – Guitar - As one of the three guitarists in the band, and the oldest one :-) I see myself as part of the glue. I’m really a rhythm player at heart, so I love being part of a band, and Tom and Tony are so creative--their parts are almost always something I never would have thought of, but they always leave me a place to take a stab. We are listeners--it’s a conversation I love being part of.

Tony Hooper – Guitar - Blues Counsel has 3 guitarists. We each have very different sets of hands, but are able to adapt on the fly. Our roles change from song to song depending on who’s leading. If I’m leading, my role is carrying the chord structure of the tune and Will and Tom react to what I’m doing. It’s always a bit of a mystery soup... a little salt here, a little pepper there. We each respect the space in the song and choose our notes wisely . . . most of the time. . .LOL! Then there are moments of total anarchy where we open the throttle and throw caution to the wind, but it’s almost never without taste and flavor...almost. One of the bands charms is someone’s always sitting a little cock-eyed in the pocket and that’s usually about the time Will starts feeling around in his sporran for a slide. On this new project, I played a lot of keys while tracking and added a guitar part or two later. This band can do just about anything, and it’s an honor to be a part of it.

Tom Lane – Guitar - In this band, roles are more like spaces that we occupy naturally because of who we are and what we do. As one of the three guitar players, my role is to serve each song well without cluttering it up too much. Plus, the other two yahoos I play with are so doggone good, I don’t have to do anything beyond what I do.

Emedin Rivera – Percussion - My role as percussionist in Blues Counsel is laying down the groove under the bass and drums. Tightening the groove as much as possible so we can sound strong. The flow between Rick and I seems to come naturally because we’ve worked for over 30 years together, and Tony just knows how to put everything where it belongs. It’s a beautiful blend of each one complimenting the other.

What do you believe you bring to the table for the band?

Rick Cua – Bass - Everybody in BC brings all of who they are to the band: their playing, singing, writing, thoughts and personalities. While the ministry is always first, for me, and beyond the music, I try to bring our collective dreams to life business-wise. We all speak into this, but I seem to

take the point position possibly because of my history, and also because that’s what I have to offer along with my playing, writing, and singing. I also do my best to gather the troops, keep our communication moving, get most of our gigs sorted out and our CD’s manufactured and promoted. Tony Hooper has coordinated some gigs, and Tony Morra will advance the production of the shows as needed. Tom and I bounce a lot

of business thoughts off each other as well. The band is made up of pastors, producers, engineers, players, singers and writers. Between us all, and by the grace of God, we get things done.

Tony Morra –Drums – Well, first of all, to ask “what do you bring to the table in this band” can be interpreted in a different way. See, as much as we love music, our love of good food is a close second! (Maybe tied for first) So, I make a mean spaghetti and meat sauce! (Grandma’s recipe of course) Oddly enough the food thing isn’t too far off in terms of what I bring musically. Like any good recipe, you take all of the different ingredients and flavors and bring it all together to make one amazing dish. I think that’s what I bring to the band. I grew up in NYC with a father who was a Big Band drummer and a grandfather who was a classically trained musician who also played drums. The amount of different music styles going on at any one time in my home was amazing. I certainly gravitated towards rock and pop, that being the more common music of the time, but listening to jazz for hours, or classical, or Latin jazz was not far removed from my development! With that I think that I can

move from one style to the next within the framework of our band legitimately. There’s no “faking it” in Blues Counsel. Everyone is so well versed and HONEST about what they do that anything that I may try to do that’s not as honest as the song style itself would be noticed and stick out in a heartbeat. Also the passion and being able to change up on a moments notice is another part of what I bring to a performance. It’s something that I feel helps infuse the band with a kind of energy that does not happen when you “play safe”. (To note: safe and

simple are 2 different things in my book.) One of the best compliments I ever received was from a very prominent and well-known guitar player that sits in with us who said that I “can groove like Jim Keltner, but bring it like any of the fusion guys.” That is a wide space to be in, but I think the ability to know when to add more pepper or not is the key to being the right drummer for this band.

Will McFarlane – Guitar - I believe I bring a traditional/old school R&B root. I get hired a lot for what I leave out, so that Muscle Shoals feel is deep in my soul.

Tony Hooper – Guitar - I guess being an 80’s kid, my influences

bring a bit of flash and fire to the stage. A company of Steve’s comes to mind... Steve Lukather, Steve Via, Steve Morse, and add to them Larry

Carlton and Chet Atkins and that about rounds it out. I guess I’m a musical mutt. If you turn the heavy distortion off, my speed riffs sound like country licks, LOL. Ya’ll know I’m from Mississippi. My poor ol’ country dad always said, “Son, if you’d turn off that extortion, you’d be a pretty good guitar picker.” Laughs...When I was a boy, I used to sneak around and listen to the Delta Blues and Blue Grass on Public Radio. That was the devil’s music according to my strict Pentecostal family. Now, I’m in a blues band with Latin drums... Mom and Dad are really praying now...

Tom Lane – Guitar - I am equal parts writer/player/singer, and thankfully there’s room for

all of me in BC. The interesting thing is that everyone in the band is an artist, producer, writer, player, etc., who do their own thing and have numerous creative outlets. So when we come together we are pretty conscientious and deliberate; starting with the songs we bring since we already have an idea of what fits the

band as a whole. It’s not a Pop, Worship, Latin, Blues, or Rock band; it’s a bit of all of the above, yet we try to focus on what is naturally and historically ‘us’. In the same way that Will, Rick, and Tony Hooper very much bring distinction and a certain style, I guess my more bluesy soulful self tends to come out in our music together—especially vocally. Guitar wise, I bring a third! Amazingly we all add our color and voice without any struggle whatsoever.

Emedin Rivera – Percussion - I am the Latin part of the band! I try to insert Latin rhythms


when possible to give it the extra spice that adds to the overall feel of the music.

What gear do you consistently use?

Rick Cua – Bass - If it’s a fly date I will bring my mid-eighties Paul Reed Smith 4 string with a hip shot for that occasional dropped D. If I am driving or recording, then I use my first bass, a ‘64 Fender Precision that my wonderful grandmother bought for me new. I’ve done every record with that bass and only recently stopped flying with it because of its age and the uncertainty of how the airlines will treat it. I also have a Kramer 8-string, Washburn electric prototype, and a Human Bass. If I am away I always request an Ampeg SVT with an 8–10 cabinet or a GK rig. At home I use a Boogie 400-watt tube amp with a 2–10 Boogie Wedge. I also have a GK MB15OE and a Polytone Mini-Brute inside of a Legend oak cabinet. For me it’s usually a bass – cord – and amp. I haven’t used pedals and effects much, but I do have a Boss Octave Pedal and would love to acquire an old Mutron. I will put those, along with a tuner, on a Pedal Train Nano. I use D’Addario EXL 165 Nickel Wound strings on my Fender and PRS and D’Addario ETB92 Nylon Tape Wound strings on my Washburn AB20. My instrument/speaker cords and accessories are from Planet Waves. When I’m not using wedges I use Westone triple driver in-ear monitors, which I love.

Tony Morra – Drums - Okay, this is the fun question!!! I have been playing and have had an endorsement with Drum Workshop Drums (DW) for 16 years now. I have to say that getting that endorsement was an honor and a miracle! I use Paiste cymbals, which are simply the best cymbals for recording!! Of course they are great live too! But recording them is unbelievable. I choose to use Evans Drumheads. I have been with them for 16 years as well. The advancement they have put into the making of the proper drumhead is outstanding. I hit all this stuff with Vic Firth drumsticks. Been with this company for almost 20 years. I use so many different types of sticks for different styles and they have always had what I needed, and they feel so natural! In my studio at home I have a ton of gear, but the main supporters that I work with are Geoff Daking and Presonus. I’m very blessed to have endorsements with all of these incredible companies!!! The most important thing about it is that these are instruments that I want to play. These companies make the most consistent and incredible sounding gear I have ever played. The way they take care of me as an artist is incredible.

Will McFarlane – Guitar - I like playing my vintage stuff with these guys--’55 Tele, ’54 Strat, ’69 Princeton Reverb for little gigs, and a ‘70s Vibrolux for bigger ones (both restored by Superfine Ampworks to blackface specs). Recently though, I was built a Tele relic by TMG that is killing me right now, and I’ve left my ’55 at home. Also, at NAMM, John with Bad Cat is building me an amp that I’m sure I’ll have played by the time this comes out--it was great in the booth.

Tony Hooper – Guitar - With me, the gear thing is similar to the ingredients thing, I use whatever I have. My 52 Telecaster is a staple, though I don’t travel with it much. I always seem to have an Ibanez around because of my whammy bar addiction... I probably end up with a 1/2 dozen good guitars every year and then sell them in December to get through Christmas... sounds like the blues to me! My lovely wife, Alicia, and my 3 girls, Madison, Olivia, and Avery are far more important than the gear. And anyways, Alicia says I can only play one guitar at a time, hum.... Bruce,

I can’t even wear the “Love many guitars, but one woman” shirt anymore... It ended up with bleach on the front and now it just says, “Love one woman.” LOL! I usually request a pair of Fender Super Reverb amps when gear is provided but I absolutely love my Blackstar HT Stage 60. This year, I’ll be sporting around a pair of Tech 21 Power 60’s with my Line Six M13. I use D’Addario strings and other folks are kind enough to send me gear to use too like JHS pedals, Arlo Art Pedals, Luna Guitars, and Presonus... thank you very much!

Tom Lane – Guitar - With BC, I most often play my Gibson ES 137 and a Tele. The amps I use are my 66 Fender Deluxe, and 57 Gibson GA-40 Les Paul—the first amp I ever owned actually. I do often have an AC 30 in our backline as well. I use Pedal Train pedalboards, JHS Pedals, Creation Audio Labs pedals, Line Six pedals, Fulltone pedals, and whole bunch more pedals—can’t

have too many right? I play Avalon, MacPherson, and Goodall acoustic guitars.

Emedin Rivera – Percussion - The gear I use is LP congas, bongos, and toys, which I endorse and have been using for years. Some of them include: Brazilian whistles, handmade wrist shakers, cowbell and clave foot pedals, Cyclone Shaker (Endorsed and sold by LP), my box of electronic crickets, many other handmade special effects of birds, monkeys, owls, turkeys and probably anything else you have seen on the Wild Kingdom! Many of these were developed for my work with National Geographic. Also a 3,000 key, key tree, a shaker make out of hundreds of can tops and dozens of other homemade items….everything and the kitchen sink!

How do you see the Lord work in your life and music?

Rick Cua – Bass - It’s all about Jesus. Everything I do both personally and musically, other than my mistakes, shortcomings, and moments of bad judgment, stems from a foundation in Christ.

God has graciously allowed me to hear from people over the years that have turned their lives around and moved closer to Jesus because of His working through one of our songs, or something I said that reflected His truth. Both Diana and I are very aware of the need to make everything count. Whether it’s directly or indirectly through a principle spoken of in the Word, everything needs to line up to how God wants us to live. Years ago I received a word from a pastor friend…he called me a player/coach. That’s how I want to live my life…playing and coaching at the same time. Blues Counsel is a perfect vehicle for that

and I am grateful to God, my wife, Diana, kids, grandkids and family for understanding that vision, as well as some of my best friends in BC, my pastor, church, Kingdom Bound Ministries, CMS and dear friends for always encouraging and supporting God’s work through music.

Tony Morra – Drums - This question is almost impossible to answer in just a paragraph or 2. I might be able to sum it up in one sentence though. My wife and my 2 beautiful children! In this most cynical and turbulent world right now I think there’s not much belief in miracles. I mean real true-life miracles. I have witnessed 4 that I’m convinced were the absolute hand of God making a situation happen. You know, there have been times in my life that I’d look up and go “Really, Really, are you there? What’s going on?”. But I guess me getting angry at God is just the proof of how much I believe in Him and His Son!! Can’t get mad at something that doesn’t exist…


right? My whole life I have been told I have a God given talent. When you’re five years old and are told that, I guess you say, “Okay . . . what does that mean?” and maybe think, “Wow, that’s cool.” Then you get older and read the passage, “To whom much is given much is required” and you start to think UH OH! I’ve taken that gift to the heights measured by the world and was offered the mountain top view of what it could be “Doing it on my own.” As great as that seemed at the time I got a vision of Christ on the Mountain with the devil offering Him the world. I had a big decision in my life to make and the Lord used a friend of mine to help me see the “fork” in the road. I chose the path the Lord laid before me (Although not the one I wanted) but knew that that was the path to follow. That led me to my incredible wife, my 2 kids and a career that I could not have planned and this amazing band of musicians I get to make music with and worship the Lord all at the same time.

Will McFarlane – Guitar - How could I not see Him at work? The fact that it’s a gift is ever before me, and keeps me thankful. And the supernatural sense that at times it’s so much bigger than what we’re playing--we’re co-laboring with the spirit, and you can feel the weight of the ministry that’s happening around you--stuff we may never know in this world, but healing is going on...

Tony Hooper – Guitar - Well, like most of us in Blues Counsel, I wear a lot of hats. I am music pastor at Cornerstone Family Fellowship in Amory, Mississippi and I am privileged to see the Lord Jesus at work in the lives of our congregation and community each week. I just returned from Israel and, feeling compelled by the Spirit, I’m now sending good gear over to our Jewish believer friends to help equip them to do ministry. Musically, I’m always searching. I tend to give away 10 CD’s for every one I sell. That’s not good business, but people continue to email, Facebook, or text and tell of how they were blessed. At 44, I’m not about being an artist nearly as much as I am about being a vessel serving the Lord where I can with excellence. I was just honored to co-produce Christian Artist, Bryan Duncan’s new project and I also get to serve Extraordinary Women’s Conference as a side-man with Michael O’Brien again this year. I stay busy and the Lord always makes a way. It is a great life...

Tom Lane – Guitar - When I look back over my life thus far it’s easy to see God’s providence at work, carefully weaving my story together. From a tangible perspective I see Him work through relationships, starting with my wife, who is ‘Holy Spirit Jr.’ in my life. She is an amazing human being anyway, but her love and pursuit of The Lord is something I’ve come to trust and respect

immensely. She also has great musical instincts, so I listen to and value her input. I’m also amazed at how much young people impact my life, seeing God move and work through them fires me up! The older I get the more I also try to pay closest attention to God’s Spirit inside me, always speaking, leading, convicting, encouraging, humbling me, etc. With life and music, no doubt friends play a huge part and inspire me to do what I do!

Emedin Rivera – Percussion - I have to give all the Glory to God for giving me the ability to play the instruments I have played for all these years. All of my ideas and creativity come from Him and I’m still going strong because of Him. Playing percussion is what I do full time, and the Lord has been so faithful to provide for me and my family.

What does it mean for you to be in the Blues Counsel?

Rick Cua – Bass - Blues Counsel is a band of brothers with the same heart and passion for God, family, friends, and music. This band, and

more importantly each of its members, is one of God’s gifts to me. To be able to lock arms with guys I have played with for many years is truly good medicine.

Tony Morra – Drums – At one point in my career I was schooled by some of the most famous band personnel out there. They sat me down and educated me on the music business very early on in my career. My head spun!!!! So much so, it made me declare to myself that I would only be in a band unless all the t’s were crossed and the i’s dotted. Other than that, I was a sideman or session player. Being in bands was not really where I ever wanted to be at that point because it became business, period. No one was offering what made it beneficial to be in “their” band. This is a business ladies and gents. So I had a career that was mainly as a “sideman”. I played . . . got paid (hopefully). . .then moved to the next gig. I’ve fed me and my family doing that and love being in my spot doing my thing and getting paid to do it. BUT, when we “Blues Counsel” happened it wasn’t about business or “The Gig”, it was about what we would all feel and

what the audience would feel and experience from a bunch of friends just getting up on stage and playing for the glory of playing and the Glory of God! (not necessarily in that order). I believe when you connect with that common Spirit, no matter what you do, there is nothing more special than that! Is everything perfect in our world? No. But we conquer those adversities together. Being in a unit like this, there isn’t anything that can’t be accomplished, because not only is there a direct reflection on the music but the focus is on playing skillfully and worshipfully to our God! It means a whole lot to be in this band!!!

Will McFarlane – Guitar - Blues Counsel started as friends, and that’s still the best part--a lot of love flying around between us. The transient nature of our society seems to make it all the more powerful to have what we do. The music is sometimes icing on the cake, though we can get lost in it for a while.

Tony Hooper – Guitar - I have a larger circle of friends that I admire and relate to, but there are only five in the inner circle...Rick, Will, Tom, Tony, and Emedin are the ones I guess I open up

to and trust the most. We’ve shared some pretty, or not so pretty seasons together. Blues Counsel is not just a band, It’s a family. We pray together, play together, and we break bread together. There is always “ElectroPotential” meaning any given moment can be positive or negative; good or bad. But, with us there’s always grace and all things work together for good to them that love the Lord. I assure you, all 6 of us love the LORD with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Tom Lane – Guitar - First and foremost it means friendship and brotherhood; I love each of these men dearly and can’t imagine life without one of them. We’ve had such a long history together, logging many years

of life, music, travel, food, family, and great fun. God has graced us to be able to step on stage and pick right up where we left off every time. Though we all have full lives and are very busy apart from the band, we’re still like kids when we get to reconvene to make our music. My wife calls it “Our little boys group.” It’s an honor honestly for me to be counted as one of the bunch, they’re truly my favorite musicians in the world to play with, and they’re Godly men. We’ll be doing this until we can’t!

Emedin Rivera – Percussion - Being in Blues Counsel, to me, means more than being in a band: it’s a family. I play with many other units and when Blues Counsel comes together, there is a different kind of bond. I’ve known these guys for over 25 years and when we get together, it’s like we’ve never been apart. We’re brothers.

To learn more about Blues Counsel please visit www.bluescounsel.com

We wholeheartedly support the work of Compassion International. To sponsor a child visit: www.compassion.com


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selective hearingGalleryJeff Elbel + PingMarathon Records

For the uninitiated (which, unfortunately, will be most people reading this review) Jeff Elbel is a longtime Christian music staple out of the Chicago area, especially noted for his affiliation with The Cornerstone Festival (RIP) and his performances on the ‘Gallery Stage’ with his bands, Farewell to Juliet, Sunny Day Roses and, more recently, Ping. Originally a purveyor of Brit influenced alternative pop in the vein of The Choir or The Prayer Chain, Elbel’s writing has evolved quite a bit in the ensuing years, as Gallery features a terrifically winning blend of roots-rock styles incorporating blues, folk, rock, gospel, and Americana into a unique and bracing amalgam that reflects his love for classic artists like Bonnie and Delaney, Eric Clapton, Tom Petty and more. “I Can Change” kicks the album off on a joyous, raucous note as Elbel and vocalist extraordinaire, Maron Gaffron trade vocal harmonies on the tight, R&B influenced rocker that recounts the biblical tale of Jonah . Other highlights include the Dylan/klezmer band mash-up, “I Forget”, an homage to a marriage so together that there is little left to fight about except the inconsequential stuff ; the sprightly pop-rocker, “Light It Up”, which recalls some of my favorite 80’s underground acts like db’s, Marshall Crenshaw, and Let’s Active with it’s mix of hooks and tight instrumental moxie. This cut includes a BLAZING guitar solo from Dan Dixon as well; and the album closer, “Comfort Me”, a gospel influenced ballad that acts as a prayer to be enveloped in God’s peace and comfort. These cuts just touch the surface, though. The whole record is a celebration of modern American music and really is about as engaging as rock music gets. Gallery is highly recommended, to say the least.

Need You NowPlumbCurb

Plumb’s latest, Need You Now, is a testament to well written, impeccably produced modern pop music with a commercial sensibility that rarely seems contrived. Tiffany Arbuckle again displays her powerful,

emotional vocals on a set of tunes that run the gamut from the pensive rocker, “Invisible”, which opens the album; the ominous, pounding rocker, “Cage”, to the encouraging, sparkling pop of “Beautiful” with plenty of ground covered in between. Arbuckle and longtime producer, Matt Bronlewee meld acoustic tones and moody, ethereal electronics to pleasing effect throughout, while Arbuckle’s lyrics continue to explore themes both sacred and utterly human, often celebrating the point at which both intersect; displaying an authentic microcosm of a life lived in service to Christ, while still tethered to the vagaries of the sin nature. Need You Now is a strong record with something to offer fans of both accessible AND experimental music.

The Greater CauseJohn Schlitt4K-Records

Color me surprised as anyone that John Schlitt can make a record as startlingly good as The Greater Cause this far into his long career. Everything a classic/arena/hard rock fan could want is delivered in spades on Schlitt’s first solo disc since the tepid, The Grafting in 2008. Definitely an album focused on Christ and the walk of a believer, without defaulting to a ‘worship’ mode, the record rocks from the outset with the anthem-like “Live It Loud”, an exhortation to waive one’s Jesus flag high that even features a guest ‘rap’ from producer/son in law, Dan Needham. With an all out wall of guitar assault that is mirrored again and again on the disc, one might miss the fact that Schlitt (who penned 7 of the 11 tracks here) populates his tunes with solid hooks that are not easily shook from one’s memory. “Faith & Freedom” is a lean, modern rocker with an irresistible chorus that segues to some appealing keyboard sweetener, while “Take Me Home” continues the sonic assault with a rocking, yet wonderfully Beatle-esque vibe. As a respite from the bombast (meant in the best possible way) Schlitt offers up the truly lovely “The Gift”, a gentle, acoustic tribute to his wife that highlights the sensitivity in his voice when he dials it down a notch or four. Schlitt ends the album on a powerful note with the pitch-perfect closing track “The Cross Remains”, which effectively yet powerfully conveys all that Schlitt has

been so faithful to stand up for over the course of his 30 odd years seeking to serve Christ through his music. Again, the Beatles are recalled in the baroque arrangement and swirling, harmonic chord progressions of the songs extended outro. The Greater Cause, in short, is an inspired project, expertly crafted and impeccably produced (seriously….this record sounds like it had a 7 figure budget, it’s THAT good). Having never been a big fan of most commercial hard rock, it comes as no small revelation that Schlitt has made one of my favorite records of last year by remaining true to his arena rock roots, while adding just enough modern concessions to make the sound relevant in today’s market place. I’ll tell you…..banging my head has rarely felt so good!

Breaking FreeCathy HellerIndependent.

I get many requests each month to listen to new projects by independent artists. Usually, these emails come from the artists themselves. It is always rewarding when one of those musicians reveals themselves to be far more than just the same ol’ same ol’. Such is the case with indie, acoustic-pop, singer/songwriter, Cathy Heller, whose wonderful debut, Breaking Free, is full of lithe, singable songs, simple, yet creative percussion effects (lots of hand claps) and true melodic integrity. Heller seems to be interested in the subject of relationships; but, instead of marginalizing her material by being specific about the subject matter, she leaves it to the listener to decide which songs are talking about human romance, divine love, or, as in most cases, both. What these songs all contain is an element of personal credibility. Even the most positive moments here are still beset by questions and strands of brokenness. The amazingly upbeat sonic pull of “I’m Gonna Make a Change” is slightly betrayed by the subtle suggestion of the need for transformation:

“I could use a new coat of paintchange my scenerywake up in the morning and choose to be

braveand set this caged bird free”.

Other songs are more blatant in their

by Shawn McLaughlin


insecurity, The anthemic “I Am All These Things” lays the singer’s secrets bare as she asks:

“Did you know I runaway?Did you know that I make mistakes?Did you know I’m broken in places you can’t

see?I am all these things”,

Heller, then, REALLY gets down to brass tacks:

“So Will you Take me With all my Scars and Broken Parts

Do you Love me Now, Now that you KnowI’m All These Things.”

The gorgeous ballad “Be Brave” asks of a partner/God for the promise of wholeness and safety.

While genuinely jaunty, upbeat songs make up the majority of Breaking Free, ballads like this one give the project an added depth and variety that allows Heller the latitude to be lyrically transparent. Definitely a notable debut, Breaking Free, show Heller to be an artist with purpose and confidence.....in her obvious gifts as well as her ability to communicate her message effectively.

LovedJJ HellerIndependent

It’s Heller month at CM! I have zero idea if the two are related. JJ, however, has graced this column before with previous folk-pop records full of gentle reminders of God’s love and constancy. While Loved, her newest long-player, is also full of Heller’s generous talent for reaching Christ’s body, a few things about this project are different than other work in her catalog. For one, the sonic palette has been widened considerably on Loved, as swirling, ambient keyboards and occasionally cranky electric guitars augment the acoustic approach Heller is noted for. The title track is familiar with the comforting strum of an acoustic guitar, buttressed by strings and xylophone accents, but the rest of the record certainly shows a welcome spirit of sonic experimentation with aid from whiz-kid producers, Ben Shive and Cason Cooley. Also a departure on Loved is a focus on darker material that reflects a difficult time when broken marriages, death and infirmity entered into Heller and her lyricist husband, Dave’s local community. While these struggles are essayed on the project, they are done so with an eye toward redemption and restoration. Songs like the stately, beautiful “Stay” and the rhythmically charged “Come

Back to Me” mirror some of the basic truths in the prodigal son story, as the Heller’s encourage the disenfranchised to embrace the true home that was always available to them. Loved is definitely not for all, as it hardly shoves the answers to life’s tough questions in neat packages; but, for those who enjoy the challenge of self interpretation and the exploration of new musical frontiers, JJ Heller has the antidote for you with her stellar new album.

RunSanctus RealSparrow Records

Sanctus Real continues their shift to more mainstream sounds and

worship directed lyricism on Run, their 6th release with Sparrow Records. For what this is, the band fares extremely well, as the songs are unified, thematically and musically, to create a very consistent, pleasurable listening experience. With “Edge”-inspired guitar arpeggios, songs like “Nothing Between” and “Pictures of Grace” shows the band’s affinity for writing heartfelt, encouraging songs that also effectively portray the human equation

of a believer’s existence. However, with this disc, the move toward a more accessible pop sound comes off as much less challenging than past output that featured harder, modern rock sounds as well as a real, yet sparingly seen gift for catchy, roots rock. The songs on


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Run often start to sound so similar as to begin to run together after just a few listens. While Matt Hammit has demonstrated an ability to write thoughtful, melodic songs with real heart, he often seems to regress to greeting card sentiment and half-baked, unimaginative song titles like “Pray”, Promises” “We Will Never Give Up” that further extend the “hallmark” vibe. So, while definitely a very competent and musically accessible release,

RUN suffers a bit from a lack of ambition and an inability, or lack of desire, to stretch creative boundaries. In other words, it is a perfect project for Christian radio . . .which is probably the point, after all.

Desire Like DynamiteSandra McCrackenIndependent.

One of the more wonderful and creative

talents on the fringes of the independent, Christian scene these days, Sandra McCracken,

the sterling singer-songwriter who also happens to be married to maverick Christian artist, Derek Webb, releases her STUNNING, tour de force, project, Desire

Like Dynamite, just in time for Valentine’s Day. Here is what is great about this record. McCracken is an artist, who, like kindred spirits, Jill Phillips, Andy Gullahorn, Andrew Peterson, Andrew Osenga and her own husband, is not content with serving up packaged, freeze dried Christian sentiment for the masses. Instead, she desires to portray the Christian experience in all its messy human glory, with struggle, failure, and doubt standing shoulder to shoulder with success, joy, and victory. On Desire Like Dynamite McCracken covers events as mundane but holy as the significance of being a parent, and how our choices have consequences that extend beyond our own myopic worldview. “The Wait” looks at questions from both dichotomies in a Christian’s daily attempt to follow Jesus, as the singer goes through peaks and valleys, often in very broken, human ways. “Gridlock” is a song about how our hearts control the effectiveness of our witness and our ability to effect personal growth; while the track, “Dynamite” explores the power of the believer’s actions and how mindful we need to be that what we say and do can greatly affect our communities. Musically, the album is an ever-evolving amalgam of sturdy folk melodies, indie aesthetic, and adroitly placed electronic touches. Jordan Brook Hamlin and Joshua Moore produce the disc along with Webb and McCracken and do a terrific job of creating musical beds that are interesting and enhance the song without obfuscating the inherent musicality of McCracken’s melodies. Indeed, these songs would sound great live, stripped down to just McCracken and Webb’s acoustic guitars. Desire Like Dynamite is depth-filled, musically dense and intricate, and full of thought provoking concepts and poetic lyrics. It should immediately go to the top of any gourmet music

lover’s “must own” list.

Shawn McLaughlin is a hard working dedicated, tireless worshipper of Christ

www.ChristianMusicianSummit.com


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This year’s NAMM Convention saw over 90,000 attendees, 1,400 exhibitor booths and for the first time – 7 of Christian Musician’s reporters hitting the exhibit floor in search of those ever elusive “5 Cool Things”. No doubt you will start seeing in depth product reviews on several of these new products in the upcoming issues of CM. For now, use these items below as a sneak peak of things to come.

Bruce Adolph

1. TC Electronics “Ditto” pedal. This new micro looper pedal also won “Best of Show” kudos from the NAMM folks. Five minutes of loop time. Retail $129 www.tcelectronic.com

2. Living Tone Amps. Hand-wired, lots of tubes and made to order. Starting at $1,850. livingtoneamplification.com

3. Korg’s Analog Synth complete with patch cables so you can route the tones personally with Sawtooth wave shapes, oscillators and low pass

filters.. pretty cool. $599 www.korg.com

4. Guild’s Doyle Dykes Signature Model acoustic/electric guitar. I got to play this one with Doyle telling me all about it in person. Many appointments to it that Doyle wanted in this beautifully styled guitar. It was

Guild’s best seller in their booth! $3,999 www.guildguitars.com

5. TMG Will McFarlane Signature Telecaster style guitar. Wonderfully balanced and bearing Will’s name. It looks like his 55 Fender guitar and felt great to hold. taylormcgrath.com

Matt Kees

1. PreSonus 32.4.2AI StudioLive digital mixing console. This new 32 channel, 14-aux console by PreSonus has many more times the processing power of it’s predecessors. It utilizes PreSonus’

new Active I n t e g r a t i o n t e c h n o l o g y that allows products that sense each other (e.g. consoles & loudspeakers). Retail right around $4k. www. presonus.com

2. Nimbit.com. Sell & Promote Music, Merch & Tickets Direct to Fans on Facebook, Twitter and Your Website. From Free to $19.95 per month. www.nimbit.com

3. Sceptre High-Definition CoActual Active Studio Monitors (by PreSonus) - What can I say, I dig PreSonus gear. The CoActual technology is the combination of custom transducers

in a state-of-the-art coaxial design with heavy-duty DSP running Fulcrum Acoustic’s TQ(TM) Temporal Equalization Technology(TM)... Retail $650 each for 6.5” model, $750 each for 8” model. www.presonus.com

4. Livemix CS Duo Personal Monitoring System by Digital Audio Labs - The CS Duo is 2 control surfaces in one, allowing two mixes per unit. These feature 24 channels of audio over the standard

16 found in competitor controllers. Price TBA. w w w.digitalaudio.com/livemix/

5. Sonic Clamp for Guitar or Bass. This

is an accessory that will mount your iPhone 4 to the body of your guitar or bass to access your music apps. Innovative! Retail $70. www.sonicclamp.com

Joe Riggio

1. Mono Vertigo upright guitar gig bag. This is a well thought out alternative

to a hard case or common gig bag. Features include: fast and easy removal and fittings for accessories. $199 www.monocase.com

CM REPORT:5 Cool Things I Saw at NAMM


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2. Orange VT1000 Tube Tester. I can’t ever think of another company ever offering a tube tester to the public. It’s about time. $ to be announced. www.orangeamps.com

3. Pete Schmidt Leather Guitar Straps. High end leather straps at fair prices. From around $89 www.peteschmidt.com

4. Crank It Drum Tuner. A clever device that simultaneously tightens all lugs on a drum. This is a great aid in tuning new heads. $ to be announced (photo to the right) www.crankitmusicgear.com

5. Fender 8.5 carat Diamond Telecaster. If you just sold your house and have nothing to do with the funds, you might want to consider getting one of these made for you. (ya, this one was already sold) $120,000.00

Michael Hodge

1. D’Addario Balanced Tension Strings for Electric Guitar and Bass. What a great idea! These strings all have the same tension & it makes sense and you can feel the difference. They come in sets of all the usual gauges. Street price is around $5.00 for a set of XL110BT guitar strings. www.daddario.com

2. Wampler Pedals are hand built here in the USA. Two immediately caught my attention. The EGO compressor which is a very transparent and has a unique mix control, and the Euphoria which is very Dumble like. Street prices are around $199.00 www.wamplerpedals.com

3. EMOTIVA is known as a high end audiophile manufacturer. Their new Stealth 8” powered Airmotiv Studio Monitors are bi-amplified, and 200 + 200 watts per channel. They employ custom Ribbon high frequency

drivers. Very impressive. The price is $1,498.00 a pair. www.emotivapro.com/products/stealth-8

4. Waves Manny Marroquin signature plugins. This is the newest addition to

the Artist series of 6 personalized Hybrid plugins. In the line up are Eq, Reverb, Delay, Tone Shaper, Distortion and Triple D. They won Best of show, and are very

impressive. Due to be released 1st quarter this year. List Price $500.00. www.waves.com

5. Third Power Amps - British Dream model. The British Dream is designed and hand built by Jamie Scott of Nashville TN. It is a two channel 38/18

watt guitar amplifier with a ‘59 AC30 vibe channel and a ‘68 Marshall Plexi Channel. It comes as a 1X12 combo, or a head and separate cabinet. The speaker cabinet has a SwitchBACK design allowing for open or closed back. Watch out for this amazing amp. List Price is $2,899.00 www.3rdpower.com

Gearld McKnight

1. Aquarian inHEAD Electro-Acoustic Hybrid Triggering Drumheads. Great sounding acoustic drum heads with in-head electronic trigger technology. You get the best of both worlds while playing on your own drum set. Great for live and/or studio applications. They come in standard tom sizes 10”, 12”, 13” 14”, 16”. 14” snare drum and a kickZONE for bass drum trigger. List price range from $72.50 to $89.95.

www.aquariandrumheads.com

2. Duallist Drum Pedals. A single bass pedal that becomes a double pedal with a kick of a switch. In double mode you can play double beater patterns with one

foot. They also make a triple pedal with a double pedal you get a third beater. This can enable you to play faster bass drum rolls and rhythms. List Price: $599.99 www.theduallist.com/index.html

3. Phil Jones Bass and Guitar amps prove that large sounds can come in small packages without sacrificing tone. The 100 watt BG-100 compact bass combo amp would be great for practice, church, travel and/or gigs. This amp has a nice tight sound and B string on a 5 string bass

is very clear without distortion. This light weight amp is only 13.2 lbs, 12” x 10.8” x 7.8” (W x D x H). Comes with 2 CH, 2 X 3 band EQ, bass and aux and mic inputs, limiter, headphone out, headphone out, DI out, pre-amp out. List Price: $650 w w w . p h i l j o n e s p u r e s o u n d . c o m /products/?id=120

4. Crank It Drum Tuner makes changing and tuning drum heads a breeze. This product continuously maintains even tension while it simultaneously torque

each tension rod. Crank It gives you greater tuning control by making the exact same tension on both top and bottom heads. Drum heads can be tuned in less than 60 seconds! Works on all standard size drums and different lug patterns are available. List Price: $699 www.crankitmusicgear.com

5. snareWEIGHT is a detachable magnetic brass drum dampener. It’s perfect for snares and floor toms. It eliminates the ring and adds punch without losing your

high end tone. It slides like a dial to quickly find your favorite sound. It is weighted and balanced and will maintain the right drum head contact. Comes in 2 styles:

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Michael Gonzales

1. King Korg is a new product. Retails for $1299. Comes out next month. Has a tube for warm sounds. Very light weight. Monster classic a n a l o g u e sounds and great new b l e n d e d s o u n d s . Good layers. www.korg.com

2. Alex Acuña bongos. AA0785SE Gon Bops Alex Acuna Special Edition Bongos. List for $629.

3. Phil Jones Micro Bass Amp lists for $395. Model: Double Four BG-75 www.philjonespuresound.com/products/?id=143

4. Tycoon hardwood 10” Cajon Conga only $199 made of Peruvian Mohena wood. Comes is various sizes. Beautiful sound. All Tycoon products less than LP products but competitive quality. Model No. TKC-105. $147 www.tycoonpercussion.com

5. Casio Privia Pro PX-5S stage keyboard. Will be out in April. Has 6 sliders and 4 knobs for a great combination of sounds and layers. Uses the amazing AIR sound source technology that is Casio’s proprietary natural sounds famous for their new great grand piano sounds. Will list for $999.00. Bonus: Super lightweight for an 88 hammer action keyboard. www.casiomusicgear.com

Eric Wylie

1. Riversong Guitars. Riversong is taking a unique approach to the days old challenge of acoustic guitar setup. Their

adjustable neck angle design is very impressive. Riversong has a unique product that works! Build quality is very high and they were really nice people! w w w . r i v e r s o n g g u i t a r s . c o m ([email protected]) Tradition Canadian, $1674 CDN MSRP

2. Stage Ninja. More than a few churches rely on garden hose reels or extension cord reels

to wrap cables. Stage Ninja has taken the next step and created retractable cable assemblies that are not unlike the retractors on your home vacuum. The units are

also stackable to save floor space. w w w . s t a g e n i n j a . c o m ( b e s k e w @ s t a g e n i n j a . c o m ) Retractable XLR cables, 26’ XLR $69.99MSRP $49.99 street

3. Matrix Amplification. Most churches have at least one guitarist using some sort of amp modeler, with Line6 being the most common. Full range, full response speaker cabinets are starting to hit the market to

compliment modelers. The CFR12 is a very solid monitor wedge that is designed to work with amp modelers. www.matrixamplification.com ([email protected]) CFR12, $829 direct

4. Hipshot Products. Swapping out tuners is an easy process, but can be fraught with peril for many. The universal mounting plate facilitates

swapping out tuners without having to drill new holes in the headstock. This is also beneficial for musicians wanting to upgrade their vintage guitars without completely sacrificing their value. www.hipshotproducts.com Universal

Mounting plate, $10 direct

5. Prat Basses. No trip to NAMM is complete without sampling the excesses of instrument builders. Even in this extreme show, some builders still stand above others. One standout was Oscar Prat’s headless 11-string bass with fanned frets. (Yes, 11 strings!)

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Such a little word that can springboard such large and infamous things. Wars were fought because of the why. Books were written because of the why. Families were formed, lost and divided because of the why. Ministries are created because of the why. So if the why is so important, do you, as a singer/songwriter/artist define your why pre, during and post process?

Start with the simplest first. Describe your “why” in five words or less. Does why preamble each song? Is there a why involved? Why is one of the first questions we ask when we are children . . . over and over again. We can’t get enough of the answers, which turn into more questions. Why is the sky blue? Because it reflects off the water? Why? Because the light hits it just the right way? Why? Because God wanted us to experience the beauty of both at the same time. Why???? Oh the wonder of why. It stretches us. It sparks curiosity. It creates. It educates. It validates.

Some people write lyrics before the music, others compose the music first, and still others write them at the same time. You can look for inspiration for songwriting in everything from your daily life to other great works that you experience.

Here are 3 questions to ask when entering into the writing stage.

1. What are you passionate about? Why?

2. What are you emotional about? Why?

3. What have you experienced in your life? Why?

Don’t have a ‘why’? – Then collaborate. Co-writing brings the why to the center of the song. Share your experiences together. Parallel them. Reach your audience through a duplication of happenings. We asked singer/songwriter Sarah Ross, of the group “Everlife”, what she had to say about the why in her songwriting. “I ask myself while writing why I FEEL like what I have to say is more important than what anyone else has to say…and basically it’s not. It’s just a story that I am telling and I’m sharing the purpose behind it. As a songwriter, it’s hard for me to write a song without a why. The why helps me gain perspective with a purpose instead of just writing to write a song, even if I’m the only one that knows the meaning to this song. I’m writing because I went through a hard time and needed to get it out…or a topic that everyone can relate to, that I’ve

WHY ask Why??by Keith Mohr & Sue Ross-Mohr

been through. – When I ask why, I get a clear spot. If you don’t ask the why, the answer isn’t clear, and the message of the song doesn’t carry through. It just doesn’t touch who it is supposed to touch.”

There is a great tool available to you as the songwriter to pinpoint and develop that why with words. www.visualthesaurus.com

When the why of a song is the beginning of your song, it will lead you through the middle and to the end. Asking yourself questions all the way through will lead to the answers that bring your audience to that crescendo that makes a song, “that song”!!! Getting them to replay it, over and over again, is the success that each song seeks. Why? Because.

Creatively His,

Keith Mohr and Susan-Ross Mohr

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www.indiemechanics.com

Keith Mohr and Sue Ross-Mohr of “The Mohr Creative Group” have years of e x p e r i e n c e s e r v i n g i n d e p e n d e n t Christian artists, musicians and songwriters. Keith founded www.indieheaven.com in 2002, the leading portal for Christian independent music. Sue Ross-Mohr founded www.theinnervizion.com in 2003, a creative promotions /marketing/ consulting service to individuals and companies worldwide.

HELPING INDIE ARTISTS BRING ITproducer, songwriter, musician :: MATT KEES~ Dedicated to making music that glorifies our creative God ~

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“Matt Kees is a very musical songwriter, producer, mixer and a very good friend of mine. I love hearing his work as he is one of the best in the business. I always look forward to working and making great music with Matt.” ~ Gregg Bissonette(LA session drummer and member of Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band)


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I have a 1973 Fender Precision Bass that has had a lot of modifications done to it through the years. It has changed tuners, bridge, and pickup, as well as the body refinished. Is it a good idea to have it restored, or leave it alone?

Generally speaking, the value of a vintage guitar, in original condition, is maximized by leaving it

alone. However, in the case of your bass, a restoration is completely acceptable and even desirable. If previous modifications have already been performed, you are not decreasing the resale value by restoring it. It’s very common to find instruments like yours that have had some kind of “DIY” treatment, as it was very in fashion to do before vintage guitars became truly appreciated in the 1980’s. For example: a guitar that has been previously refinished in a non-original color (or technique…J) can be greatly improved by a proper re-do.

Are hand-wired amplifiers better than those made with printed circuit boards?

This is a very debatable issue and has many factors

that determine an answer. Hand-wired amplifiers, also known as point-to-point, are easier to repair than those

with PCB’s. In fact many repairman only work on hand-wired amps because of the ease of accessibility to the components of the circuit. My opinion is that build-quality and strength, regardless of PCB or hand-wired, is more of a key ingredient to what makes a “better” amp. Hand-wired is considered “better” by many, but there are plenty of well-built PCB amps that sound great and hold up well. Most of today’s boutique amps are hand-wired, but some companies are exploring ways to incorporate high quality PCB’s to enable them to offer lower cost versions of their hand-wired counterparts.

Do guitar cables make a difference in the tone of my guitar rig?

The answer to this one is a resounding…YES! Your guitar cable is essentially a capacitor (an electrical component that stores energy). The difference that various cables will make in

the sound of your guitar can be very audible. Factors including: length, shield design, metal make-up, and even the plugs on the ends of your cable will give varying results. I highly recommend trying a few types to determine what you like best.

Q

Joe Riggio is a professional guitar repairman/technician and recording engineer, based in Tacoma, WA. He owns and operates “Service Guitar Repair” and “House Of Sound Recording Studio” He has a deep love and knowledge of vintage guitars, as well as modern and loves to share his passion with others. He can be contacted at [email protected] website: www.ServiceGuitarRepair.com

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THE HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR SUMMER... MAYBE YOUR LIFE!

Sound Check (cont. from page 7)


you seen anyone else you know here at the NAMM Show?” and there I was – standing right close by. It also turns out that they were NAMM TV’s roving convention reporters and they placed this very large video camera right in my face. I was a bit self-conscious as I felt like my forehead was sweating and I asked the camera man if he could back up just a bit. He retreated about six inches. The lady reporter asked me what I was doing at NAMM and I explained about the Night of Worship concert and the Musician’s Chapel, about our booth there and the two magazines. Then she asked me the big question, “What do you think connects everyone at the convention?” I knew that this was the softball pitch that gave me a chance to say something about the Lord. I answered the obvious answer – that is was music that connected us all… (I’m paraphrasing myself here) but that I personally believe that music is a gift from the Lord; that it is meant to inspire folks and that we need to treat music as the gift that it is. That wrapped up the conversation and before I knew it I was walking along simply amazed that just minutes ago I was asking the Lord to direct my steps, and then I ended up trying to give Him the glory on NAMM TV!

The third unexpected interview took the cake however… right after our Night of Worship concert I was introduced by a friend to a reporter from a local mainstream radio station that was doing a piece on “Technology in Church – Has it Gone Too Far”, but I was a bit wiped out from a 12 hour day so we set up a time to talk on the close of the exhibit time Friday at our booth. Friday came along and it was still really busy and a group of us were hungry and planning to go out to dinner. I asker the reporter if we could push it back one more day. She was gracious and had to be somewhere herself, so we punted. On Saturday at booth closing time I felt like I needed to help her wrap up her story, and to her credit after seeing the concert and talking to some others that I know in the church technology sector I think her angle had shifted from a “Why are churches blowing so much money on tech toys” to a “How does technology enhance what the churches do” vibe. I certainly wanted to help her see how leveraging technology for the Kingdom’s sake was important. She recorded my conversation on tape

(thank God no more video cameras) and I answered her questions for about 15 minutes. When it was over we shook hands and off I went to go and get some food and rest. At the end of our conversation it turned out that she was doing this report for the local Los Angeles NPR (National Public Radio) radio station. They reached 500,000 listeners in and around LA.

The following week I got an e-mail from David Owens (our drum columnist) that he heard me talking on NPR while driving down the freeway in Orange County. I was surprised to hear about it, and we investigated it and found the interview on their website. A few days later I get a call from my sister Barbara saying that her friend had heard me on the air, but this time it was picked up by the national NPR station. This is truly amazing, not for just the national coverage but also for the fact the NPR, at least in my estimation, doesn’t cover a lot of stories about Christians (especially in a positive light).

So the interview I punted two times ironically became the one that afforded the biggest platform to speak from about what we do and why we do it. My part of the story was only two different statements (the first and last comments) but I was amazed to see what the Lord did with it. I often say that ½ of life is showing up to see what the Lord has for you… I am grateful that I showed up and the Lord really did have three interviews for me to try and shine with. Wowzers! God never ceases to amaze me.

Here’s a link if you’re interested:

h t t p : / / b l o g s . k c r w . c o m /w hichway la /2013/01/churches-b ig-pu rchasers- of - mus ic- p er formance -gear?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+whichwaylablog+(Which+Way+L.A.?+Blog)

Lord Bless Ya!

Bruce and Judy

http://www.worshipmusicianmagazine.com

Dominant 7th Chords & the Mixolydian Mode 7th chords can be a little confusing; the

dominant 7th is different from the Major7th (maj7) and the minor 7th (m7). In a Major scale you have seven notes, and each note of the scale has a chord and a scale that corresponds with it. In the “C” major scale the notes are C – D – E – F – G – A – B the fifth note of the scale is where the dominant 7th chord and the mixolydian mode comes in. The “G7” chord is a major triad with a minor third or a minor 7th added to the chord. This makes it a 4 note chord G – B – D – F. The ‘G” mixolydian scale has the same notes found in the “C” major scale (C D E F G A B). By starting on the “G” you have “G” mixolydian (G A B C D E F).

Dominant 7th chords are found mostly in Blues and Jazz styles of music. The 7th chords are also nice when added to an arrangement as movement in between different parts of your songs and key changes. When soloing and creating a melody line the mixolydian

works over 7th chords and can be a nice change to your sound and style.

Example 1: The 12 G7 chords, aka G Dominant 7th, all contain the same 4 notes that make up the chord, G – B – D – F. The top 2 chords are in the open position, the rest are movable chord shapes that work in all keys.

Example 2: The G Mixolydian Scale degrees are 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7, Shown is a 2 octave scale along with the G7 arpeggio. These fingerings can also be used as a movable pattern so you can play the mixolydian scale in all keys.

Example 3: Here are 2 dominant 7th chords, the fist has the root on the 6th string (low E) the second has the root on the 5th string (A) each is followed by a one octave mixolydian scale. Play this using the same chord shapes in all positions on the neck.

CODA: Remember that a Dominant 7th chord is not the same as a major 7th or minor

Roger Zimish is a freelance guitarist/indie artist and clinician based in Orlando, FL., works TV production at Universal Studios and worships at GODS House Orlando. He has represented Audio-Technica, Greg Bennett Design Guitars by Samick, G&L Guitars, Visual Sound and PedalTrain Pedal Boards. Contact Roger: Email [email protected], www.rogerzimish.com, zmanguitara2z.blogspot.com, twitter and facebook.

7th chord or any other chord with a 7th in it and there are several different fingerings you can use to play the scales. Be sure to listen to the sound of the note sequence to be able to tell it apart from other scales. We’ll see you next time.




Bryan Duncan/ Singer /Songwriter/ author / Publisher. Radio Show host for RadioRehab.comInducted into the Christian music Hall of Fame in 2007.40 years, 22 albums, Dove and Grammy awarded.www.bryanduncan.com

The book of Revelation is not the only place you’ll find a beast with seven heads and a full horn section anymore. Every musician’s survival requires wearing a score of hats on heads with multi-track minds. I have been “schooled” in the past two years, learning how to stay relevant. Starting with learning how to raise my own budget for music using social media outlets. Interestingly, a definition of ‘relevance’ in the dictionary is: “the ability to retrieve information that is applicable to the user”. I have to laugh here. I’m now visualizing my audience as a bunch of “Applicable Users”.

Funny how turning a definition over in your head helps you catch your own misaligned assumptions. The last decade has rendered the old definitions of how we bring music to the public almost unrecognizable. Nothing we have come to trust in the way of facilitation has proven to be long lasting. Not record companies, or distribution deals, recording techniques, management, booking, or the way we tour.

Even the parameters of delivered music formats are being redefined constantly. All the more reason for the ongoing experiment in the way we communicate. It is simply a matter of necessity. We have all been forced to plot

a more effective course through the changing climate to hold an audience.

Reaching those who will resonate with our music and respond to our message has now been laid completely at our own feet. Call it our new freedom. And, as with all freedoms, it comes with significant personal responsibility. At least now there’s less complaining about what the record company isn’t doing for you.

The good news is that as you work at promoting your music and getting your efforts heard, you have more personalized tools to work with today than ever before. The down side is that in the constant rush of new information to process, you can feel like you’re in the first grade all over again. This week kids, we’re learning the fine art of Link application. Posting content on multiple sites with personalized links to your specific world of content. And you gotta have pictures. Or better yet a video conversation you hand made in the morning on your iPad, once you figured out that iRig application.

No more bulletin board style concert schedules either. Interactive apps are developing, making it possible to alert everyone you’ve ever crossed paths with to tell them when you’re

playing near them with a GPS link so they can’t miss it. While we’re at it, don’t forget new sites to help with online streaming video directly to their home because, seriously, someone’s not going to make it.

You might want to make personal calls too, or contact everyone directly via email to thank them for buying your product. Seldom just a manufactured CD, mind you. More often it’s a download with a way to “capture the client”. You’re an idiot if you can’t reconnect. With a little extra effort you can send them a link via email, where they can receive an easy download version of your latest work with links to ringtones and a smart phone app for consistent updates on everything you’re doing. Are you exhausted yet?

It’s no wonder the next generation is the new silent majority, cause we’re all staring at pixilated work screens for hours. Know that knowing your audience is a matter of serious due diligence. And finding a way to get their attention has become a matter of following rabbit trails. Frankly they are overwhelmed with the onslaught of constant information. Walk into any Starbucks and try to make eye contact.

Speaking directly to someone these days might cause a power outage in their Super Dome! So we pursue ways to reference our music that is relevant to them. It’s just a matter of technical tact so to speak. People today are the most prolifically informed individuals this planet has ever seen. After all we can, in a matter of seconds, Google anything and everything. But don’t be intimidated by that. It’s still as true as it ever was that knowledge is not wisdom.

And wisdom tells me that relevance gets lost in perception. And perception has a wandering eye. Information is coming to us with way too many impertinent pop ups. There is no peace among the particulates. So what am I learning these days? The power is still in the content but it must be weighted and balanced, because we live in a world on information overload.

Let us not forget, in all our new ways of proclaiming, why we have a message at all. The fact is that our own relevance did not lead us to salvation. If anything, we looked around at the abundance of information and found ourselves alone with a missing printout of the main point.

Yes, music has the power to inspire people to the right purposes. It’s just that we cannot assume to cast our seeds to the wind and expect a real harvest. No farmer in his right mind expects a crop without long days of preparation and nurturing. I love being a music farmer. But now I’m obliged to find ways to get the produce to the proper grocery store aisle for the applicable users!

For an example of a new way of doing things you might check out www.sogoodforthesoul.com and see what I mean.

REACHING YOUR “APPLICABLE USERS”by Bryan Duncan

http://www.sogoodforthesoul.com/

http://www.sogoodforthesoul.com/

http://www.longhollowleather.com

http://www.G7th.com

Comedian and actor Martin Mull has a great quote that appears on its own page in the front of a wonderful book on songwriting by Jimmy Webb called Tunesmith: Inside The Art Of Songwriting. Mull says, “Talking about music is like dancing about architecture.” Not only is music a huge and multifaceted subject by itself, but talking/writing about it, while necessary, seems almost like an unnatural act at times. Yet when we’re a step or two removed from the basic elements of a thing, we can sometimes get away with stealing other terms and touchpoints to help us along. Much like a wine expert can talk about a cabernet as having the faint scent of oak or a hint of cherry. Of course, most of us nod our heads in agreement to hide the fact that we may not have a clue.

But it gets even more dicey when we want to consider almost any aspect of music and then try to pull that discussion up alongside considerations of the Bible, our Christian faith, our preferences and practices both individually and collectively within the Church, and our habitual concerns as to what’s secular and what’s sacred (and the confusion of how to apply those terms usefully, if at all). Is it okay for me to explore and even enjoy things that are not explicitly sanctioned or forbidden by Scripture or the Church? We’ve had some great continuing battles about this stuff for generations.

I know that some of you might balk at my specific mention of the Church in the same sentence as Scripture. I do this because I believe we actually utilize both sources all the time even if we don’t admit to it. If the Bible alone were the sole and complete picture ... if Scripture alone were wholly self-interpreting and dictating, then we would probably require women to pray in public with their heads covered as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 11:5-6. (And, of course, that was my Catholic boyhood.)

But if we conclude (as most all churches do now) that this was a matter of culture and custom, then we must ask, “Who made that determination?” Whether it’s a consideration of what the Church has believed through most of her history or a matter of us giving credence and authority to a denomination, a presbytery or even, as Calvary Chapel terms them, “distinctives” ... somewhere along the line, we buy into agreed upon interpretations developed by trusted Church leaders and teachers who, in most cases,

SOME ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT MUSIC, CREATIVITY, AND FAITH by Bob BennettCODA

have probably done their best to have their understanding guided by the Spirit Himself.

Of course, then we’re left with the thorny question of, “Can the Holy Spirit be guiding two God-fearing individuals who read the same thing in Scripture and come to varying conclusions?” As you can tell, I’m already dog-paddling around in the deep end of the pool, so I’ll leave that to others even as I wonder as I wander!

I often make mention of the Church when considering Scripture because I think we should stand firmly on the historical shoulders of our brethren as much as we can. Even if we may not be aware of their contributions to interpretations we take for granted and view as “the right way” to understand a passage or doctrine, rarely are we far from the thinking and faithfulness of others. One of the things that I remember the late Walter Martin saying, in so many words, was that we should always beware when any group starts tossing around lines like “We’re the remnant”, “We’ve discovered new knowledge”, “We’ve recovered old knowledge that was forgotten”, “Everyone else is not as right on as we are”, “We’re modern or post-modern, so we obviously know better”, etc. When these sales pitches are offered to explain significant departures from something that resembles the historic Christian faith, keep your wits sharp and keep a close eye on your heart (and your wallet). So even as I am still tempted to say “Sola Scriptura” and be done with it, I would still hedge my bet a little by always mentioning the historic Church in very close proximity.

Opinions about music are highly personal, and connected up to all kinds of formative experiences, both good and bad, along a person’s lifeline. When I think of digging into a discussion of music and Christianity, I feel like we’re all planning a wedding together. It should be a happy occasion for all, but the potential for misunderstanding and stomping angrily out of the room looms large.

Here then, with what I hope is not too much hubris, are some of my assumptions about creativity, music, and life in the Faith.

1. Both creativity and the ability to appreciate creativity originate with God Himself. In the beginning God creates things and then, in an impressive display of understated accuracy, He

simply pronounces them as “good”. Much later, his modern and post-modern day followers create things and then, in an equally impressive display of overstated delusion, not only pronounce them as “good” but as also having a suggested retail price of $15.98! We can safely infer God was sincere in His creative efforts to fashion the whole Universe, yet He specifically seems to give a nod to quality control when assessing His own work. Aren’t you glad He didn’t pronounce His creation as “Good enough because I know I’m faithful to use it for My Purposes” or “So good that I’ll never be happy with anything less than perfection!”? Then we’d be in a heap of trouble in trying to do anything for Him or each other.

2. There is a train of thought which suggests that most, if not all, of what “sin” is about is the distortion, misuse, or overuse of something given as basically good (or, at least, neutral or innocuous). Sin comes when the sinful human heart and mind springs into unholy action and twists these things out of shape.

I don’t know if this notion can hold up under close scrutiny, especially given what we find in the first chapter of Romans. Remember that this first chapter catalogs a pretty serious list of human depravities. I suppose we could monkey around with the text long enough to trace each of these awful acts and indecencies back to what could have once been wholesome human needs and desires. But then in verse 30 Paul tosses in a six-word hand grenade that sends shrapnel into the hindmost parts of every tin soldier who wants to carry a “we’re all basically good” argument onto the battlefield of daily life: “They invent ways of doing evil.” Now maybe you and I are off the hook if this applies only to the depravity of those who have unrepentantly given themselves over past some point of no return. But I have to tell you I feel just sore enough when I try to sit down next to this verse that I want to put a good sized asterisk next to my “sin is just good gone bad” idea.

But let’s run with it for the moment and assume that if most of the sin we struggle with is a perversion of good, then maybe we can say that music is generally a good or neutral thing that, like everything else, can be misused.

3. Scripture seems to place music front and center when talking about worship toward God in community with his Church. There are lots of


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indicators for this. And there’s a fine selection of books available that will do a magnificent job at making this point. So, I’ll defer to them and point to few items of interest:

-- The Psalms are either a collection of lyrics or, perhaps, readings that are meant to be accompanied by music. They contain musical instructions and terms throughout, though not all the terms are still known or familiar. Whatever the case, having Holy Scriptures with a built in hymnal is pretty good news for us musician types!

-- Ephesians 5:19 gives us the familiar admonition to “Speak to each other in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs”.

-- Matthew 26:30 tells us what happened at the conclusion of the first Lord’s Supper: “When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives”. Imagine being close enough to Jesus to hear Him sing! Being a regular in and around the Synagogue means this wasn’t His first time singing. But even if that sort of speculation seems flimsy to you, it doesn’t matter. If Jesus merely listened while his disciples sang (or if Jesus walked down the center aisle so he could greet them at the door after they finished singing!), that’s enough for me. Christians, as best they can accomplish, generally sing and listen throughout a lifetime of worship.

4. Simple is not always best. Being intelligently simple is a lot harder than it seems. The most direct and explicit path is not always called for in the Arts. I lean strongly in the direction of giving time and attention to music that is interesting, subtle, creative, and, perhaps a little demanding of the listener if not a little left-of-center as part of the bargain.

Yet even as I point in that direction, I will remind you (and certainly myself ) that there is a powerful single sentence that is constantly quoted in Heaven. Revelation 4:8 ... “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” The phrase is almost child-like simplicity and construction, yet try to plumb the depth and incredible implications of this particular arrangement of sixteen English words. I would have been much more verbose! I would have gone fancier and longer! But this sentence is not about clever wordplay . . . and it is endlessly repetitive. So the next time we feel tempted to bust our Catholic brethren for stringing together several recitations of the Lord’s Prayer, let’s remember this passage and remember that the Biblical admonition in Matthew 6:7 is against vain repetition, not repetition itself. If simplicity were the sole mandate of Heaven, we’d be miserable ... only one color, only one variety, one species, one pizza topping ... you’d check the “I’m-saved-cookbook” section of any Christian bookstore and there would be a large-print cookbook with one recipe on one page: “Gather manna in the morning, eat the same thing all day, go to sleep, get up, repeat.”

5. Most of us ought to know the difference

between legitimate concerns about stumbling a weaker brother or sister versus those who see themselves as the self-appointed guardians of weaker brethren. These are what I call “professional stumblers” ... a kind of pseudo-spiritual cop who cites you on behalf of a potential weaker brother. Even if it’s just the two of you in the middle of Death Valley, you’re both on the verge of death by thirst, and you’ve both followed a promising glint of reflected light in the distance for several hundred yards only to find one warm and, dare I say it, miraculous can of Coors Light to split between you. And here it comes without a weaker brother in the vicinity. But, you know, there could be an unseen weaker brother with a really good pair of binoculars somewhere!

I believe we can actually make some responsible choices in our lives as believers and some of our brethren are simply not going to be comfortable with all of those choices. We do the best we can to not let our considered liberties be misunderstood by others ... yet we also cannot walk on eggshells for the rest of our mortal existence because someone might make a hasty and ill-considered exit from the Faith on the flimsiest of pretexts.

I think it’s generally accepted that the admonition in Acts to not eat meat sacrificed to idols was primarily a courtesy that uncircumcised Gentiles extended those Jewish Christians who still observed strict dietary laws. This neatly avoided controversies at the community dining table. Being considerate and careful of (as in full of care for) your neighbors is still a good thing to do. But if your neighbor is like that busybody neighbor on Bewitched who lives to look out the window, I honestly don’t know if she has to pick up her own tab at some point or if you’re her “brother’s keeper” under any and all circumstances.

6. We do not need to set up a false death match between our souls and our spirits ... or maybe a better way to say it is that we do not need to wholly dismiss our humanity to be the spiritually minded people of the Kingdom. We might be called to subdue our fleshly habits and there are practices of discipline and contemplation that are for our growth and benefit. But we do not have the luxury of the “either/or” here. What makes it a little difficult and yet so rewarding is that it’s a “both/and” proposition.

7. I remember reading somewhere that there is a distinctly Western way of thinking and that we, in our time and culture, are firmly entrenched in that mode. The problem for us as Western Christians is that the Bible is, essentially, geared to an Eastern mindset. So if we were confronted with Scriptures saying that it was raining on a cloudless day, we would scramble for any kind of hermeneutical hat-trick to get ourselves out of it. Whereas the Eastern mindset would approach such an apparent contradiction with an intellectual sense of deja-vu. There would be a more comfortable awareness that there

are some things that are tricky and hard to understand and, with all that has been given to us, we’re still looking through a glass darkly.

My own approach is to marvel at what I see as interlocking truths of Scripture. If Jesus had sat down and written “My Systematic Theology by J. Bar-Joseph”, we’d memorize the thing and then promptly dissect it to look for every loophole in the book.

But when we’re faced with seemingly contradictory admonitions to grow up (1 Corinthians 13:11) yet maintain the faith of a small child (Matthew 18:3) ... When we are told to carry each other’s burdens (Galatians 6:2) and then a few verses later told to that each one should carry their own load (Galatians 6:5) ... When we’re faced with Biblical language that we might lose our very salvation if we try long and hard enough to retire from our faith (Galatians 5:4 ... Ezekiel 18:24) and yet also are comforted and assured by numerous passages that the Spirit of God will outmaneuver us for the rest of our lives and finish the thing He has started ( John 10:28). What’s that all about and why does it feel like we have to clean up a mess we didn’t make?

What gets me through the minefield and helps me to relax and let God be God is probably too simple for the not-easily-impressed. I think these are “truths in tension”. They lay up against each other. They interlock, if you will, as facts that may be several pages or whole cities and states away from each other in the Biblical phone book, but they are as close and connected as inseparable Siamese twins. I think such tension is deliberate. If God has us both coming and going, He has us right where we need to be. When we lean to the left, the Spirit pulls us right. When we lean to the right ... you get the idea.

I wish that God had explicitly commanded us to enjoy all of the Arts to the fullest extent possible and to create with passion and intelligence. I’m not sure there is such a single command or permission slip for that any more than there is one Scripture that the doctrine of the Trinity is derived from. The notion of a Triune God emerges from many facets of Scripture. And so our consideration of Christianity & the Arts as it pertains to music does not hang on any one turn of phrase.

ABOUT ME: I’m a singer-songwriter living in Southern California, happily married to the Lovely Mrs. Bennett who is my best friend and one-woman support team. My ninth solo album ( Joy Deep as Sorrow) has been well-reviewed in these pages. At the last CMS Northwest, I was honored to receive the Roby Duke Creative Life Award. I attend St. Matthew’s Church (Newport Beach, CA) and I am more grateful than I can say that God apparently still has my life in Hand.


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Jim WidnerJazz Camp Organizer for 25 Years,Jazz Bassist, Educator

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Christian Musician Magazine - Mar/Apr 2013